The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-15 00:00:00

Naval and Military intelligence.

The companies of Royal Engineers at present
stationed at head-quarters, Chatham, have been
greatly strengthened by the arrival within the past
few days of a number of detachments for the pur-
pose of augmenting the companies ordered out to
India. • The 4th, 10th, lltb, and 21st companies
are ready to embark at a moment's notice. They
will be provided with every description of sapping
and mining tools, batteries, photographic appara-
tus, and every other requisite for this branch of the
service. A large number of the Sappers and Miners
proceeding to India were employed in the Crimea
and, took part in the destruction of the great docks
at Sebastopol. The whole oftbe non-commissioned
officers and men ordered to embark have bzen me-
dically inspected, in order that none but troops in
sound constitution may proceed to India.
Col. H. J. Savage, Commanding Royal Engineer
at Chatham, having been appainted Commanding
Royal Engineer at Gibraltar, vice Col. W. C. Ward,
has been succeeded at Chatham by Col. W. Biddle-
comb Mario', R.E. _ _ _

Since the recent arrival of the large number of
recruits for the various East Indian depots at Chat-
ham garrison considerable exertions Wave been
made by the authorities at the Provi.ional Batta-

lien to have the whole of them instructed in the use
of the Enfield rifle, orders having been given that
every min before pronounced Et for embarkation for
India must have undergone a course of instruction
in that weapon.
Yesterday morning the depots of the 73d and
77th Regiments left the camp at Colchester, where.
they had been quartered for some months, for Porto,
mouth, on the way to J,rssy. The 73d, comprising.
170 non-comwic,sioned officers and men, were under
the command of Captain Renny, the other offi-
cers with the depots consisting of Captain Wil-
liams, Lieut. Mackenzie, Ensigns Rayley, Piggott,
Sharpe, Warren, and Clarke. The 77th, under the
command of Brevet Lieut.-Colonel H. R. Carden,
consisted of 110 men, and the following officers :
Capt. Long, Lieutenants Armstrong and D.oley,
Ensigns Jordan, Davids, Jackson, and Bridges.
The 6th Dragoon Guards left Aldershott on Sa-
turday for Brighton.
The greatest activity prevails in the Royal Labo-
ratory Department, Woolwich, in preparing the
elongated plugged bullet for tho East India Com-
pany's service. One million of these newly-in-
vented bullets were forwarded from Woolwich to
the docks for transport to Bengal ; and two mil-
lions of the same species, packed in ewes cc:outlin-
ing 2,000 each, were yesterday shipped for Bombay,
together with shot, shell, and ammunition, for tne

troops already embarked.
The Hydaspes lies off the Royal Arsenal Pier in
readiness to embark the trcops under orders for
Calcutta. The embarkation, however, according to
present orders, will not take place before Thursday.
A couple of cast-iron guns, a portion of the
trophies from the late Russian war, were yesterday
forwarded from Woolwich Arsenal, by order of Lord
Panmure, for presentation to the city of Exett r.
The leng;h of each gun is Bft. sin., and the relative
weight is 58cwt. 2qr. and 57cwt. 2qr.
The naval transport Diligence, having discharged
her cargo of re' urned war stores from Gibraltar, is
ordered to be docked and overhauled.

The screw steam-vessel Rifleman, 8, late from
the south-east coa-t of America, having b3en dis-
mantled, was yesterday paid off at Woolwich. She
is ordered to be stripped of her engines, which re-
quire new framework, and will be docked to go
through a complete overhaul.
Tie -number of recruits sent to head-quarters,
Woolwich, from the Artillery detachments star ioned
in various out-quarters shows that the gap created
in that force by the recent despatch to India will
be speedily filled up. During the month of
August the number of recruits admitted at Wool-
w.ch is stated to be about 800, and during the past
week 150 were recruited at Woolwich alone, the
majority of whom wore growing young men, from
the age of 18 to 20.
The Royal Dragoons have given 24 volunteers to
the 7th Dragoon Guard 9, abut to embark for India,
and the Scots Greys 21. The 12th Light Dragoons
have given 20 volunteers to the 17th Lancers, also
under orders for India.

The 3d Light Dragoons, at Newbridge, under
Col. Ernett, are held in readiness at short notice to
march early this week to Dundalk, there to relieve
the Bth (Royal Irish) Hussars. Ono troop is sta-
tioned in Belfast, and another is quartered in Cork
Barracks.

The Bth Royal Irish Hugsars, Dundalk, under
Lieut.-Col. de Sally, are held in readiness at short
notice to march for Newbridge, t) replace the 3d
L'ght Dragoons, and occupy the barrack there till
c.rclered to Dublin to prepare to embark for India.
Strength-25 officero, 500 non-commissioned offi-
cers, trumpeters, farriers, and rank and file, 50
officers' chargers, and 350 troophorses.
The Commander-in-Chief at Devenport, Vice-
Admiral Sir Barrington Reynolds, G.C.8., is so
much better that he is to proceed ou leave of ab-
sence into Cornwall, the duties of the port in his
absence being carried on by Rear-Admiral Super-
int ndent Sir J. H. Plumridge, K.C. B.
Mr. Hemsley, in charge of the Rendezvous at
Sunderland, is succeeding admirably in entering
volunteers for the Royal Navy. Since the early
part of last month he has sent off five drafts of good
seamen and stokers, and fresh hands are dropping
in every day.
The Arrogant, .47, screw, in No. 2 dock at Ports-
mouth, has had additional hands placed on her to
complete her repairs as s-on as possible. She has
almost had half a new bottom, the o!d timbers and
planking of which were found to be much decayed.
She was launched iu 1848.
The Cuckoo, 3, paddle, Lieut.- Commander A.
G. .E. Murray; has left Shoe; nem for Chatham, to
take a portion of the crew, of the Trincomalee,
which will be paid off this day at Chatham.
The Diadem, 32, screw, Captain Moorsore, C. 8.,
will be supplied 'with Gritlith's patent screw pro-
peller, and Clifford's patent safety-boat gear appa-
ratilF. _ _

The Russell, 60, screw; block ship, is dill in
Sheerness basin, fitting s!owly. There are, how-
ever, no orders whither she is t. fit for commission
or not.

The eh
during the l'ast
OUR NAVAL FORCES IN AUGUST.
'rri
monthhtl .
havedisposition
been
o important
our i i naval a
only
u Ty forces()n
cha❑ges it
Parliament has either two s.ationn, increase of seamen granted by
few izer not been made or it has not
vi., theonte
Peen felt, or
en ha.vc availed them elves
of the opportunities of
iw:::,
uct
doamp
tm. ' sivs
ii oo nme :10
ni ili,
The number of nest of
3L gun screw frigate
the Royal Navy.
August was eix,
Diadem, 800-horse7rwaw,-,
0.8., complement
Valorous, 400-horse power, tynB.3.d.dle corvette
c implement 220 ; the Styx, 6, padatt.• pflharo,
80-borse
power, complement -165, byeommanclerO-
ullrt nay •
Vie Conflict, 8, Ecrew, 4')f) horse power, el ?",
went 165, by Commander Vesey ; Vie Fcrwer't.iljanea.
Skipjark; 2, screw gunboats, 60 bdrse power; con_
_ . ~