The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-24 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

A letter, dated Valetta, July 18, says—" Since
despatching my letter on the 12th inst. the follow-
ing movements have taken place among her Majes-
ty's ships on this station :—The screw steam trans-
port Megeera, Commander Henderson, left on the
evening of the 12th for Corfu with the draughts
brought out by her from Portsmouth and Queens-
town for that station. She is daily expected here
on her return to England with invalids. The gun-
boat Weser, Commander J ohnston, took her depar-
ture on the same day for the eastward. The gun-

boat Assurance, Lieut. P. E. Luard, left port on the
15th inst. with despatches for Vice-Admiral Sir
W. F. Martin at Messina, and, after communicating
with the Admiral, who had again transferred his
flag to the Liffey, Capt. G. W. Preedy, C. 8., re-
turned into harbour yesterday. The Liffey, bear-

ing Admiral Sir W. F. Martin's flag, arrived here
the same day, leaving the Neptune, 90, Captain
Hornby, at Palermo, with orders to proceed to
Castellamare. The London, 90, Capt. H. ChadF,
quitted Malta Harbour on the 16th inst., for Corfu,
it is reported to relieve the Orion, Captain J.
Frere. Besides the Orion, two other line-
of-battle ships are expected here shortly—the Re
flown, 91, Capt. A. Forbes, from Beyrout, and the
St. Jean d'Acre, Capt. P. Thompson, from Gibral-
tar. The gunboat Lapwing, Commander M.
O'Reilly, has arrived at Smyrna from the Pig ECUs,
and the gunboat Intrepid in the Bosphorus from
Corfu. The surveying-ship Medina, Capt. T. Spratt,
; the Scourge, 6, Commander W. G. Jones,
and the gunboat Mohawk, Commander E. H.
Howard,were at Ras-el-Millah, on the North Coast
of Africa, on the 11th inst., having just success-
fully completed laying down from Alexandria to
within a few miles of the Ras-el-Millah, the see
tion of the Malta and Alexandria telegraph
cable, brought out by the screw steamer Ran-
goon. The Medina was to continue sounding
the remainder of the distance along the coast

11,A yet laid, :While the Scourge returned to
Malta, calling in on her way at the Bengazi and
Tripoli stations. The Scourge is looked for here in
about a week. About 500 miles of cable are re-
quired to complete the line, which it is hoped will
be in working order by September next. Her
Majesty's ships in port are the Liffey, 51 (flag of
the Commander-in-Chief) ; the Hibernia, receiving
ship (flag of Rear-Admiral Codrington, C. 8.) ; the
Assurance, 4; and the tug Hearty. Her:Majesty's
sailing schooner Azof, having on board Rear-Ad-
miral Codrington, C. 8., from Corfu, and the gun-
boat Foxhound, Lieut. F. Doughty, from Beyrout,
Jaffa, and Candia, have just come in."
Yesterday the War Department transport Bomar-
mind was placed under the steam crane at the
Ordnance-wharf, Chatham, and landed 20 of the
8-inch 65-cwt. guns, and one pivot 68-pounder of
95 cwt., taken out of the Pylades, 21, screw corvette,
which is being dismantled in Chatham Harbour, to
be paid off. The Bomarsund also landed the solid
and hollow shot from the Pylades.
Yesterday Capt. Cunningham attended at the
dockyard, Chatham, for the purpose of making the
necessary arrangements for fitting his self•reefing
topsails to the new iron-plated steam frigate De-
fence, the Lords of the Admiralty having decided
on having this valuable invention applied to that

vessel.
The paddlewheel steam storeship Dee, Master-
Commander T. C. Pullen, from Woolwich, which
arrived at Plymouth on Sunday, is now discharg-
ing her cargo—marine engine gear for the Albion
and Defiance—in Keyham Steamyard.
The apprentices brig Nautilus, 6, Lieut. B. Grant,
left Plymouth on Monday for Dartmouth.
The Akbar, sailing transport, with troops for the
Mauritius and Ceylon, sailed from Spithead yester-
day morning on the commencement of her voyage.
She Drought up in St. lielen'e Roads in consequence