The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-16 00:00:00

Naval and Vittaly intelligence.

His Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-Chief
will hold a levee at 1 o'clock on Thursday next.
The reports of a Malta correspondent under this
head come down to the 11th of Feb., between which
date and the 24th preceding the Sultan, Pera, and
Euxine steamers had arrived from Southampton, pro-
ceeded to Alexandria, and the last two returned on the
11th, when the Pera left on her return to England with
the heavy India mail, and the Euxine for Marseilles with
the overland mail and despatches. The Thessalia and
Andes (screws), from Liverpool, had arrived, and left for
Constantinople, whence, after filling up at Smyrna, the
Athenian and Athens had arrived, and left for Liverpool.
The Bceotia, Aleppo, Melita) and Laconia had arrived
from Alexandria, and left for Liverpool. The St. Elmo
arrived from Glasgow and Gibraltar on the 80.
Beyond these, and the arrival and departure of the
usual French and English mail steamers, bringing at this
season a greatly reduced list of passengers, the only
movements reported are the following :
"Her Majesty's screw steam gun-boat `Panderer re-
turned from Cagliari on the 27th Jan., whither she had
been despatched to telegraph to Government the China
and Persian news.
" The Clara Louisa, hired freight-ship, arrived from
London on the 3d Feb., with gunpowder and Govern-
ment stores.
" Her Majesty's surveying steam-sloop Medina ar-
rived from the Bosphorus and Cerigo on the 28th Jan.,
and on the same day H.M.'s steam-sloop Sheaewater,
from Corfu, for which last-mentioned port the Centaur
steam-frigate, which returned from Tripoli on the 29th
Jan., left on the 4th Feb., conveying Captain Piper,
Lieuts. Whitten (and two sons), Sattie, Morley, An-
drea, Southam, Buchanan (and wife), Simpson, Beale,
Richards, Clerks, and Jepson.
" Her Majesty's steam-frigate Gladiator arrived from
Bujukdere on the Ist Feb., having on board Capt. War-
ren, R.N., of her Majesty's ship Cressy, on sick leave,
and Commander Warren, R.N.
"Her Majesty's steam transport Supply, with super-
numerary seamen and marines for the fleet, left for the
Bosphorus on the 7th.
" Her Majesty's screw sloop Wye left for England on
the 3d.

" Her Majesty's steam frigate the Dauntless, convey-
ing Lieut. Palmer, 47th, and 24 military invalids, loft
tor England on the stb, having in tow the Cracker gun-
boat. Commander Frederick Holland, R.N., went pas-
senger by the Dauntless.
" Her Majesty's sailing transport Diligence left for
England on the same day, laden chiefly with condemned
provisions.
"Her Majesty's screw corvette Swallow left for the
Bosphorus on the 3d, conveying Surgeon Slight, R.N.,
to be tried by a naval court-martial, the witnesses touch-
ing which are in the fleet. She also conveyed Lieutenant
Carter and Mr. Bovistock, RN.
"The schooner yacht Maria, Mr. A. Williams owner,
arrived on the 4th from Palermo, Messina, and Syracuse,
and left for Tunis and Gibraltar on the 9th.
" The schooner yacht Titania. having on board the
owner, Mr. Stephenson, and Mr. Lee, sailed for Gib-
raltar on the sth.
"The French Government screw transport La Bor.
dogne, arrived from Milo on the 3d, and left on the sth
for Algiers.
" The Ottoman steamer David arrived from Gibraltar,
Algiers, and Bona on the 3d, and left for Constantinople
on the Bth.
" The Peninsular and Oriental Company's ship Pera,
.Capt. Soy, arrived at Malta at 4 a.m. on the 20th Ja-
nuary, having made a remarkably fine passage out of
seven days 18 hours, giving an average speed of 12
knots. She ran from Southampton to Gibraltar in four
days three hours, the quickest passage yet made, with
the exception of the Himalaya'e, which occupied a little
under three days. The Pera was detained at Gibraltar
18 hours, in consequence of having arrived just after
gunfire. It would seem to be an unnecessary detention
that, as in this case, a ship like the Pera, requiring
neither coals nor anything else, should be kept so many
hours at Gibraltar because she happened to arrive a short
time after the customary,, hour of visiting ships. The
Pera met with thick, dirty weather on starting, but
afterwards strong north and north-west winds, with a
heavy north-west swell across the Bay. She brought a
large number of passengers (130) and a valuable cargo
of specie—say about 400,0001.
" The company's new steam-ship Aden, Capt. Ber-
nard, made a remarkably quick passage from Bombay
to Suez, with mails and passengers, having made an
average run of 320 miles daily.
"The situation of the officers of the naval establish-

ments in Malta has been materially improved by a gene-
ral increase of pay. The salaries of the master ship-
wright and the superintending engineer have been in-
creased by 101/. a-year each. The other gentlemen of
the dock and victualling yards and hospital have been
placed upon a rising scale of pay, as in England, where
the salaries of the let clerks increase by 151. a-year, as
far as 450/. ; those of the 2d class also by 151., as far as
3001. ; and those of the 3d class by 101., as far as 1501.
Besides the above emoluments, the lat clerks in each
department are allowed free quarters."
On Saturday afternoon the depots of the following
regiments belonging to the Provisional Battalion at
Chatham—viz., 10th Foot, under the command of Cap-
tain J. V. H. Montagne ; 29th, under the command of
Captain J. M. Lyle ' • 64th, commanded by Brevet-Major
W. J. Chads ; and the 83d, under the command of Cap-
tain W. Nott, together numbering about 500 non-com-
missioned officers and men—left Chatham barracks and
proceeded to Brompton barracks, where they are to be
quartered, their removal having been rendered necessary
owing to the crowded state of the Provisional Battalion,
and the large number of volunteers for the various Indian
depots which will arrive at Chatham garrison during the
present week.
The number of workmen employed. in Chatham dock-
yard having been ordered to be reduced, 16 men received
their discharge from that establishment on Saturday last,
and 30 more will be discharged at the end of this week.
In consequence of the order which has been issued by the
Admiralty for reducing the pay of the labourers em-
ployed in the dockyard to 12s. a week, a public meeting
bas been held at Chatham, presided over by the High
Constable, when it. was unanimously resolved to memo-
rialise the Lords of the Admiralty to rescind that order.
Her Majesty's ship Winchester (50), the late flag-ship,
arrived at Singapore on the 23d Dec. from Hong Kong,
and sailed on the 27th for England.
The Diamond, 27, Captain C. B. Hamilton, is being
stripped at Chatham and her stores removed, in order to
be paid off into ordinary on Wednesday next.
The Iris, 26, Captain W. Loring, C. 8., fitting at
Chatham for the Australian station, is ready for sea, and
is expected to eail from that port on the 18th inst.
Ile iron paddle steamer Trident is ordered to be un-
dccked at Word with on Monday, and the Banshee will
be placed in No. 1 on the following day, for thorough
ex Itoination, prior to commencing service as Admiralty
yacht and tender to the Fisgard.
Her Majesty's screw corvette Scout, in Woolwich ba-
sin, has received her masts, engines, and machinery, and
was on Saturday replaced under the east shears by her

Majesty's ship Spitfire.
The steam troop-ship Dee, Master-Commander Pullen,
left Woolwich on Friday evening, laden with machinery
and boilers for the Royal Sovereign and Melpomene at
Poi tsmouth. Mr. Tandy, the chief engineer of the vessel,
received instructions from the Lords of the Admiralty to
take careful notes relative to the working of the super-
heating steam apparatus during the voyage, and to re-
port officially thereon on his return.
The Admiralty yacht Vivid, which has been lent for
temporary service to the Royal Mail Steampacket Come
pany, bas been fitted with Mr. Jeffrees' patent smoke
consumer and fuel economiser, for experiment on board
that vessel. It is considered that this method will effect
an economy in the consumption of fuel to the amount of
at least 40 per cent. The inspecting officer of machinery
afloat attnched to Woolwich dockyard was ordered to
take passage in the Vivid to Dover, and to report on the
operation of the invention for the benefit of Government.
The screw steamship Chile, Capt. Smith, with mails
and passengers for the West Coast of South America,
which left Plymouth on the 15th Jan., put back to that
port on Friday last, dismasted and disabled. She has
been no further than 17 west, and for a considerable
timo was in imminent danger of drifting cn the coast of
Spain in the Bay of Biscay. Shortly after her departure
she experienced heavy gales, which continued with so
much force as to carry away the foremast and jibboom '
close down, and as the rigging was of wire it was some
time before the wreck could be cleared. After this it
was found necessary to cut away the topmast. While
preparing for this a heavy roll of the vessel snapped the
mainmast short off, and two men in the tops were thrown
into the sea, but managed to get on board again. For
many days after she continued drifting about, and the
crew urged the necessity of abandoning her, which was
energetically resisted by the officers. After many fai.
lures, jurymasts were rigged, and the after tanks filled
to get her down by the stern, when she managed to
hold her own till fine weather was experienced, when she
gradually approached the Channel, from which she had
never been distant more than three or four days' sail
during a period of 29 days. The engines were'of very
little service in her distress, and great alterations will be
necessary in the machinery before she can proceed to
sea again. Her leakage is not to any extent.
Commander Luxmore and the surviving officers and
seamen of the steamsloop Argus have erected in the
public cemetery at Plymouth a handsome cenotaph to
the memory of their friends and messmates who died of
yellow fever in the West Indies in the early part of the
year 1856.

Her Majesty's steam frigate Arrogant, 47, Captain
Lyster, is alongside Portsmouth Dockyard dismantling,
preparatory to being paid off. A shocking accident
occurred ou board her on Saturday. As one of the heavy
Pivot gnus, a 63-pounder, weighing .9.5 cwt., was being
hoisted out the fall broke, and the gun fell upon one of
the crew named James Dernan, whose body was dread-
fully mangled, causing instantaneous death. The Ad-
miralty Coroner, Mr, Swainson, held an inquest on board
in the afternoon, when a verdict of" Accidental death"
was returned. The tackle fall was quite- sound and in
good order, and had not been used more than half-a-dozen

The convict Johnson, who stabbed the Warder Astin
lately at Portsmouth, was on Saturday committed for
trial by the Portsmouth magistrate, and removed to
Winchester Gaol the same day.
Rear• Admiral of the Red Provo W. P. Wallis has
been nominated to succeed to the command of the squa-
dron on the South-East Coast of America station on the
expiration of the term of Roar-Admiral Johnotone.