The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-24 00:00:00

THE NA Vl'

lOfficial instructions were yesterday received at
Woolwich from the Lords of the Admiralty by Com.,
modore Superintendent the Hon. J. I.t. Drummond,
stating that the Board has been pleased to adopt aS
the authenticated night signals of het Majesty's
ships of war for future use Ward's patent sigma
talegraph lanterns, and that an order had been.
issaed for a full supply, in sets, for the newly ap-.
pointed Rear-Admiral Smart's division of the Chan-
nel flea, to be executed forthwith. Considerable
pains have been taken by various members of the/
Board, and also by Commodore Drummond, during
last year in investigating and improving the new
signals and briDging them to their present state of
perfection; and a.ll who have witnessed the series
of experiments which has been carried out and the
progressive alteratiorm introduced from time to time
are unanimous in their decision that no other change
can add to their utility ao.d value.
s
One hundred first and seet.'nd class lads were yes-
terday despatched from the Fi. gard, at 'Woolwich,
to Portsmouth, to be distributed in the fleet, arid an
equal number were transferred to the same place on
Monday.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. A. a• Gilmore, to
the Cossack ; Lieut. I. D. Barker, to die Princess
Royal; Lieut. J. V. D. Butler, to the Flying Fish;
and Lieut. C. N. Hoare, to the Seylla.

T.11,a 27. - -

The badges for the best shots in the musketry
practice during the past season, in connexion..
with the camp at Colchester, have just been.
received by the commandants of the six depots
,constituting the 9th battalion. The returns for
the 10th battalion have not yet been received.
The badges, which will not be worn until the
issue of new clothing in April, are of two kinds
—first class, cross muskets worked in gold -
second class, cross muskets worked in worsted:
The first class carries 2d., and the second Id. per
day extra pay. The 66th depot furnished the
greater number• of marksmen, and the 11th com-
pany, 56th Regiment, proved the best shooting
company of the 9th battalion.
Her Majesty's iron screw steam troopship
Megmra, Commander Samuel H. Henderson, sailed:
yesterday morning at 8 o'clock from the Arsenal
pier, Woolwich, according to previous arrange-
ments already detailed in The ,Sun, having embarked
on the preceding day Nos. 1 and 2 battery of the
Ist Brigade of Royal Artillery, under orders to
relieve the sth Brigade at Gibraltar. The battery
consists of Captain and Brevet-Major Walcott;
Second Capts. Nisbett and Schreiber—the latter
from the depot; Lieuts. Clarke, Gyll, Bramly,
Gatty, P. Smith, and French ; Surgeon Coombe,.
Quartermaster Cass, and 240 non-commissioned.
officers and men, with a proportion of women and
children according to War-office regulations. They
were accompanied to the pier by tie regimental
band, the mu►'ic continuing to play un6l the last
man had embarked. It was noticed by those who
were present to witness the embarkation that the
general appearance of the men betokened es„cellent
health and spirits, and that seldom has a better and
more equably assorted body of troops assembled,
the average height being 5 feet 9 inches.
Yesterday the chartered East India troopship
Accrington, 1,932 tons, Captain Christie, which
arrived in the Thames the previous day with troops
on board from Calcutta, disembarked her military
invalids at Custom-house-quay, Gravesend, under
the direction of the staff officers from Chatham
garrison. The Accrington sailed from Calcutta on.
the 10th of October last, and dropped anchor at
Gravesend after a passage of 104 days, without
calling at any port. The wounded and disabled
troops brought home belong to the Royal Artillery,
Ist battalion sth Fusiliers, Ist battalion 6th, Ist
battalion 19th, 37th, 38th, 54th, 87th (Royal Irish
Fusiliers), and 88th (Connaught Rangers) Regi-
ments ; together with a number of men of the Indian.
army belonging to the sth and 6th Bengal European
Regiments, who have been sent home to be dis-
charged, the whole under the command of Lieut. E.
Deshon, 68th Light Infantry, and in medical charge
of Dr. Alexander Solomon, a coloured native
surgeon. Three deaths occurred on board during
the passage. On the disembarcation of the invalids
at Gravesend the Royal Artillery were forwarded
to Woolwich, and the remainder conveyed to the
general hospital, Fort Pitt, Chatham, where on.
their arrival they were inspected by the medical
staff of that establishment. Fourteen non-com-
missioned officers and men, who have become insane
from exposure and other causes while serving in
India, were admitted into the lunatic portion of the
hospital, and five men into the medical wards. The
remainder were removed to the invalid establish-
ment, St. Mary's Barracks, to await an inspection
by the Chelsea Board prior to their discharge from
the service.

Captain J. Sprot, 83d Regiment, has joined at
Chatham, and taken the command of the depot of
that corps.
A gunner named Clare, belonging to the 4th Bri-
gade of Royal Artillery, on duty at the principal
entrance of the barrack-field, Woo lw ich, as sentry,
was yesterday morning arrested by the police,
having been recognised by a pensioner of the navy
as the man who robbed him on the previous night
at 11 o'clock of 31b of cigars, with which he made
his escape to barracks, scattering the plunder along
the pathway in his hurried escape from pursuit.
He was given over to the civil authorities for trial.