The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-29 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

A Malta letter dated Valetta, March 23, says :
"We have had no naval movements during the
week, except the return on the 20th inst. of her
Majesty's gunboat Mohawk, Commander Howard.
from Bengazi and Tripoli, and the departure on the
22d of the Dutch corvette Cycloop, Capt. Toewater,
for Port Mahon. The Mohawk, as you are already
informed, had proceeded to the coast of Barbary,
with Messrs. Ford and Laws, telegraph engineers,
for the purpose of selecting landing-places for the
electric cable about to be laid between Malta and
Alexandria. Bombah, which had been proposed
for one of the telegraph stations, has been rejected,
owing to its want of protection from attack by the
natives of the neighbouring country—a predatory
and savage race who not long ago murdered the
crew of a French vessel, which was so unfortunate
as to be cast on its inhospitable shore. The points
at which it has now been determined to land the
cable are Bengazi and Tripoli. At Malta it will be
landed in the Bay of San Giorgi, on the south-
east coast of the island. Her Majesty's gunboat
Lapwing, Commander Montagu O'Reilly, which
has been expected here by the naval authorities for
some weeks past from Smyrna and Candia, has not
yet made her appearance, and people are beginning
to wonder what can have detained her. The last
French steamer from Beyrout, which put into Can-
dia in consequence of tempestuous weather, brought
intelligence that some disturbance between the
Turks and Christians had taken place in that
island, and that a more serious outbreak was appre-
hended. It is reported that on account of this state
of affairs the English Consul at Canea had made
application for the presence of a British man-of-
war. The Lapwing had not arrived at Candia by
the last dates. The Doris frigate, from Beyrout,
and the Alacrity gunboat, from the Piraeus, are
shortly expected ; and the Amphion frigate,
which has been some time at Palermo,
will probably return to Malta very soon. The
ships in port under sailing orders are :--The Han.
nibal, 91, (bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Mundy,
C. 8.), for Beyrout ; the James Watt, 91,
for Corfu ; and the Firefly surveying vessel, to re-
sume her hydrographical operations in the Levant.
All three vessels will leave early in the week, most
likely on Monday or Tuesday. The following are
her Majesty's ships now in port :—The Neptune,
90 (bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral W. F. Martin,
Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean) ; the
Hannibal, 91 (bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral G.
R. Mundy, C. 8.) ; the Cressy, 80; and the James
Watt, 91 ; the frigate Liffey, 51; the surveying ship
Firefly ; the gunboats Assurance, 4, Mohawk, 4,
and Quail, 2 ; receiving ship Hibernia (flag of Rear-
Admiral H. J. Codrington, C. 8.), and tug Hearty.
'rho gunboat Assurance has gone out with a mail
for Corfu, and Capt. Coffin, 21st Regiment, and two
non-commissioned officers, 9th Regiment, as pas-

sengers."
The launch of the Glasgow, 51 gun screw frigate,
was effected yesterday from Portsmouth dockyard
in the most successful manner. The morning had
turnedleut unexpectedly fine, and some thousands
of people surrounded the slipway. When all was
prepared, the bottle of wine, suspended from the
ship's cutwater by its tricoloured silken cord,
Placed by the mastershipwright in the hands of
was