The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-14 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The following letter is dated Valletta, Jan. 6
"With the exception of the departure of her Majesty's
gunboat Foxhound on the 31st ult., with despatches for
Corfu, and the arrival on the Ist inst. of her Majesty's
despatch-boat Caradoc, from Marseilles, we have had no
movements of men-of-war during the week. The Caradoc
had been lying at Marseilles for the last two or three
months awaiting despatches. At length she received a
despatch, ordering her to proceed home direct. Owing,
however, to her being considered in an unfit state to per-
form the voyage at this time of the year, she has come here
to undergo such repairs as are immediately necessary to
render her seaworthy, after completing which she will
leave for England to be paid off.
"No later accounts have been received from Corfu than
those which reached us by her Majesty's gunboat Assur-
slice, which left that island on the 28th ult. At that date
the ships there were :—The Marlborough, the Exmouth,
the Neptune, the Ciesar, and the Orion ; aid at the Southern
Islands the London and the Mars. It was reported that
two ships were to proceed to Naples to take the place of the
Renown and the Agamemnon, which sailed from Naples
for Malta on the 30th ult.
" The Victor Emmanuel, the only line-of-battle ship at
present at Malta, is ready for sea, and is under orders to
proceed to Naples.
" The frigate Melpomene is still under repairs, which it
is likely will take some time yet to complete.
The English schooner Arabella arrived yesterday from
London, with Government stores, after a rapid passage of
19 days. Among other things she has on board in pieces,
for greater facility of transport, a set of iron mud barges,
four in number, to be used in the operation of dredging the
harbour. Four other similar ones had been received from
England, and six wooden ones constructed by the Naval
Department at Malta for the same purpose. Two other
wooden ones are being built here by a private shipbuilder
on speculation.
"The English yacht-schooner Myth left port on the 3d
inst. for Alexandria, having on board Mr. F. C. F. Gas-
coigne, Captain Medham, and Dr, Hancock.
" Letters received to-day by the French steamer Egyptian
from Alexandria, of the 29th ult., make Lin mention of
either the Calcutta or China mail having been signalled at
Suez.
" A telegraphic despatch dated the 3d inst. has just been
received from Palermo, announcing the resignation of the
Sicilian Minister.
" P.S.—Jan. 6, 4 a.m.—The mail closed yesterday at 4
p.m., but I have been enabled to keep this letter open till
the last moment to forward you any news that might be
received from Syria. The French steamer Mersey arrived
during the night from Beyrout, but she does not bring any-
thing of importance.
" Her Majesty's line-of-battle ship Victor Emmanuel,
mentioned above as ready for sea, sailed out of Malta har
bour for Naples yesterday evening.

4, Jan. 7.
" Her Majesty's gunboat Foxhound, Commander A.
Mitehell, came in this morning from Corfu, with dates from
that island to the sth inst. No movements had taken place
among the fleet since the 28th ult. The Foxhound has on
board as passengers Mr. Edward Herbert, Attache to the
Vienna Embassy, and Mr. Andrews, Engineer and General
Superintendent of the Mediterranean Telegraph Company.
The ships at Corfu on the sth were the Marlborough, the
Nepttme, the Exmouth, the Csar, and the Orion; and at
Cephalonia and Zante the London and the Mars."
Rear-Admiral J. E. Erskine's division of the
Channel fleet, consisting of the Edgar, 91, screw,
Captain James Katon ; Algiers, 91, screw, Cap-
taro G. D. O'Callaghan; Trafalgar, 91, serew,
Captain E. G. Fanshawe; and the Diadem,
32, screw, Captain E. G. Fanshawe, left Spithead at
2.30 p.m. on Saturday, under steam, and passing
out by the Bembridge lightvessel, proceeded down
Channel, their ultimate destination being stated to
be Lisbon.

The Immortalite, 51, screw, Capt. G. Hancock,
and the Desperate, 7, screw, Commander Ross,
remain at Spithead.
The St. George, 90, screw, Capt. the Hon. F.
Egerton, left Spithead at 10 a.m. yesterday for
Plymouth, where his Royal Highness Prince
Alfred will embark prior to the ship sailing for
North America and the West Indies. Prior to the
ship leaving Spithead Colonel the Hon. H. Byng
embarked on board, and proceeded round to Ply-
mouth in her.
The Royal paddle yacht Victoria and Albert has
been taken into the steam basin at Portsmouth to
make good defects.
The screw steam corvette Satellite, 21, Captain
James C. Prevost, arrived in Plymouth Sound yes-
terday (Sunday) morning. She left at Valparaiso
the flagship Bacchante. The Hecate sailed from
Valparaiso on the 17th October for the Sandwich
Islands and Vancouver's Island, to relieve the
Plumper. The Satellite lost by drowning, on the
30th of September, Walter Bampton, first-class
boy, who fell overboard from the mizentop. She
spoke Jan. I,lat. 40 7 N., long. 24 9 W., the bri-
gantine Aurora, 34 days from Gaspe, Nova Scotia,
for Cadiz. The Satellite brings 35 passengers.
His Imperial Russian Majesty's gunboat Hyda-
mak, 5, Captain Pestchowroff, from the Thames,
arrived in Plymouth Sound on Saturday morning,
and, having coaled during the day, left for Rio
Janeiro and China. Several other gunboats, con-
structing in England for the Imperial navy, are
expected to call at Plymouth.
By a circular just issued from the Admiralty
their lordships have announced their intention of
extending the benefits conferred by the Civil
u perannuation Act to all the ordinary established
labourers permanently employed in her Majesty's
several naval yards and victualling establishments,
both at home and abroad. The Lords of the Admi-
ralty have also decided that the effect of the above
regulations shall ba retrospective to all ordinary
labourers discharged since the date of the Super-
annuation. Act, 19th of April, 1859, whether they
entered the service previously or subsequently to
the passing of the said Act.
The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :—Roger M. Curry, master,
to the Trident; John H. Tully, master, to the Cum-
berland, for theXamelion; Henry T. Clanchy, mate,
to the Narcissus ; E. R. Foster, George R. Thorn-
hill, and W. M. Lang, midshipmen, to the Narcissus;
Josh; Sloss, surgeon, to the Intrepid ; Emilius W.
J)ubue, acting assistant-surgeon, to the Loudon ;
Gleorge Clark, James F. Parr, and W. H. 0. Toole,
acting-assistaat surgeons, to the Chesapeake as
supernumeraries ; and George H. Stoate, master's
assistant, to the Immortalite.