The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-11 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Recruiting for the several infantry regiments having
been for the present suspended, it has been determined
that those corps on the Indian establishment in want
of men to complete their strength shall be augmented
from regiments which are above their prescribed
establishment.
A great deal of activity prevails among the troops at
Chatham garrison, where there are at present about 500
men, belonging to the various branches of the service,
daily undergoing a course of rifle instruction. As the
season is approaching when nearly 2,000 young soldiers
will leave Chatham to join the head-quarters of their
respective regiments in India, great pains ars taken to
have each man instructed in the use of the Enfield rifle
previously to his landing in that country.
Her Majesty's steam frigate Arrogant, 47, Captain
Lyster, was officially inspected and the crew mustered
at Spithead yesterday by Vice-Admiral Sir George Sey-
mour, K.C.8., the Commander-in-Chief, after whick
she went into Portsmouth harbour to be paid eff.
The Transit iron steam troopship, having been re-
fitted, was taken out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday
to prove her machinery, before being reported ready,
for troop service. It is possible she may take the 90th
or 82d to Madras.
The Sharpshooter' 9, iron steam-sloop, was taken into
dock at Portsmouth yesterday to be refitted.
The Vesuvius, 6 guns, paddlewheel steam-sloop, ar-
rived at Sheerness yesterday morning from Woolwich, to
be placed in the steam squadron of reserve there, under
the command of Captain Edward P. Halsted of the Edin-
burgh, 60 guns, screw steamship.
The Cyclops, 6 guns, paddlewheel steam-frigate, of
320 horse power, had her engines tried in the fitting
basin at Sheerness yesterday, after having been under
repairs. The trial was satisfactory.
It is reported that the Nimrod, C guns, screw steam
despatch vessel, now being fitted and stored in the basin
at Sheerness, is to be commissioned and proceed to
China, to relieve the Barracouta, 6 guns, paddlewheel
steam-sloop, Commander Thomas D. A. Fortescue.
A large supply of Enfield rifle muskets has arrived at
Chatham from the Tower for the use of the troops at-
tached to the Provisional Battalion.
The Renown, 91, screw steamer, having been com-
pleted at Chatham dockyard, preparations are being
made for launching her, which event is expected to take
place during the ensuing month.
A lifeboat intended for presentation by Government
to the Government of Chili, in consideration of succour
rendered by the Chilians to British mariners in distress,
is lying in the boathouse wharf at Woolwich, awaiting
an opportunity for conveyance to her destination. This
boat is built on the principle of a design produced by
Mr. J. Peake, assistant master shipwright of Woolwich
Dockyard. Her length is 30 feet ; width, 8 feet beam ;
depth amidships, 3 feet 4 inches, exclusive of keel ; ditto,
from boat's floor to deck, 1 foot 3 inches ; ditto, from
deck to thwarts, 1 foot 3 inches ; ditto, from thwarts to
gunwale, 10 inches ; length of end cases, 4 feet ; width
of side cases extreme, 1 foot 6 inches. She is provided
with 12 oars, and is eztreinely light ; is double banked,
and weighs about two tons. She is furnished with a
watertightj deck at the load water line, detached air-
bi ee along the sides, and water-tight air-cases within
board, which
:render the boat submergible and self-
righting•
occupying from 3
the
e
A. great amount of extra buoyancy is derived
from large end air-cases built across the bow and stern,
feet to 4i feet in length, from the stern
and sternpost
gunwale height. According to extracts
published by
Royal National Lifeboat Institution,
these cases are chiefly intended to provide self-righting
power ; but in the
and the space below theevent of the boat being stove in,
deck being filled with water,
they alone have sufficient
possesses likewisebuoyancy to float her. She
wards only, so tha self-actinga valves, which open down-
y, tb ey allow. n water shipped to pass
downwards, while none beyond
a
pass upwards through them, She hastrifling leakage can
affixed round the entire length of the exterior life-lines
persons in the water might cling until they
boat to which
into the boat, as well as two central life -lines
could be got
lower than
the others to be used as stirrups to assist persons in the
water to enter the boat. The design was
furnished by Mr. Peake to the Royal Nationala gratuitously
ousl y
Institution in 1855. He has since devoted muchtfe
and attention to the subject of irnprovemeats whichre
have from time to tine been suggested. The boat was
built at Limehouse by Messrs. Forrestt.
The freight-ship Northfleet, engaged in shipping war
stores at Woolwich pier fir China, is expected to sail
on the 22d inst. Her upper deck is to be set apart for
the use of Lieut. Anderson and a detachment of the
Royal Artillery, under orders to embark on the 21st for
passage to Hong Kong.
Commander G. J. Mecham,
The steam-sloop Vixen,
is to leave Woolwich basin to-day. Her destination is

reported to be the Pacific.
The following appointments have been made at the
Admiralty ;—Lieutenant Richard Hoops, to the Royal
yiilliam, for service in Devonport orninary ; Lieutenant
Douglas Reid, to be agent in charge of mails ; Liente-
Znt E.
Victory R. Poroher, to the Hibernia ; Thomas Dobbin.
Acting Second Master, to the Iris ; Charles A. Lees,
ng Resistant-Surgeon to the Victory ; Stephen J.
BarberN'alter'PActing Assistant!Surgeon, to the Impregnable ;
• J. Purves, Acting A.ssictant-Surgeon, to the
: ; Charles S. Giles, Paymaster, to the Edin-
burgh

WINDSOR, FEB. 7.
This day the Right Hon. Valentine Augustus Browne
(commonly called Viscount Castlerosse) was, by her Ma-
jesty's command, sworn of her Majesty's most honourable
Privy Council, and took his place at the boar.l accordingly.
Her Majesty having been pleased to appoint the Right Hon.
Charles Anderson, Earl of Yarborough, to be Lord-Lieu-
tcnant and Custos Rotuloruna of the county of Lincoln,
his lordship this day took the oaths appointed to be taken
thereupon, instead of the oaths of allegiance and supremacy.
FOREIGN-OFFICE, FEB. 7.
The Queen has been pleased to approve of Mr. Herbert
Irving Bell as Consul in the Mauritius for his Majesty the
King of Sardinia.
DOWNING-STREET, FEB. 9.
The Queen has been pleased to appoint Charles Henry
Darling, Esq., now Governor and Commander-in-Chief in
and over the Island of Newfoundland and its dependen-
cies, to be Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and
over the Island of Jamaica and the territories depending
thereon ; Sir Alexander Bannerman, Knt., now
Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over
the Bahama Islands, to be Governor and Com-
mander-in-Chief in and over the Island of New-
foundland and its dependencies ; Sir Carlo Arthur Henry
Rnmbold, Bart., to be President and Senior Member of
the Council of the Island of Nevis; and Thomas Price,
Esq., now Treasurer for the Island of Antigua, to be
President snd Senior Member of the Executive Council of
the Virgin Islands.
Her Majesty has also been pleased to appoint Edward
W. Alexander, Esq., to be Colonial Surgeon for the Island
of St. Helena ; Thomas Havers, Esq., to be a Member of
the Executive Council of the Falkland Islands, during the
absence of J. R. Longden, Esq. ; John J. Robinson, Esq.,
to be a Member of the Legislative Council of the Province
of New Brunswick ; William Forgan and John Aldous,
Esqs., to be Members of the Legislative Council of the
Island of Prince Edward ; and Sholto Thomas Pemberton,
Esq., to be a Member of the Council of Nevis.
-

_ .
WHITEHALL, FEB. 9.
The Queen has been pleased to appoint the Right Hon.
Wm. Monsell to be President of the General Board of
Health.

CROWN•OFFICE, FEB. 10.
MEMBERS RETURNED TO SERVE IN THE PEFSENT
PARLIAMENT.

Borough of Aylesbury—Sir Richard Bethel!, Knt., her
Majesty's Attorney-General.
Borough of Hertford—The Right Hon. Wm. Francis
Cowper, Vice-President of the Committee of Privy Coun-
cil for Education.