The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-24 00:00:00

I VALLETA, March 17.—The only actual move-
ments in the squadron since our last are the de-
parture, on the 13th inst., from Malta of her Ma-
jesty's screw troopship Simoom, Capt. Lethbridge,
for Alexandria, to bring back invalids from Abys-
sinia ; the departure of her Majesty's screw gun-
boat Wizard, 1, Lieutenant-Commander P. J.
Murray, on the IGth instant, for a cruise in the
Malta Channel, for target practice and other exer-
cise ; and the arrival this morning, from Palermo
and Messina, of her Majesty's ironclad sloop Enter-
prise, 4, Commander Bosanquet. The Wizard will
probably visit Syracuse, and will return here on the
21st instant. The Enterprise is to proceed to the
Piraeus as soon as ready for sea, which it is ex-
pected will be about the 23d instant, to relieve the
Lord Warden ironclad, ordered back to Malta.
Her Majesty's screw frigates Endymion and
Arethusa will leave for a cruise on the 21st instant.
The former is to visit Naples, and possibly the
Arethusa may also call there. This latter vessel
is now perfectly healthy, there not having
been a single case of sickness among
her crew since they were landed last Mon-
day fortnight, and they are to go back to her
to-morrow. Rear-Admiral Kellett will go to Naples
in the Endytnion on leave for the benefit of his
health. Her Majesty's screw sloop Racer, 11,
Commander L. Brine, at present on service in con.
nection with the Malta and Alexandria Telegraph,
will be recalled as soon as communication can be
had with her, orders having been received to send
her to England. The telegraph line continues in-
terrupted, and it is quite uncertain when communi-
cation will be restored, as the defects have been
found even more numerous than anticipated, and
the Hawk steamer will have to return to Malta for
coals before anything more can be done. Her Ma-
jesty's screw sloop Cruiser, 5, Commander Morgan
Linger, which was at Alexandria on the 24th of
February, has returned to the coast of Syria. Her
Majesty's paddlewheel, steamvessel Antelope, Lieut.-
Commander James Buchanan, has been ordered
from the West Coast of Africa to Malta. Lieut.
Charles J. Balfour has been appointed temporarily
to command the despatch vessel Psyche, during the
absence of Sir Francis Blackwood, sick in hospital.
The Swedish screw corvette Gefle, 8 guns, Capt.
Rosengren, arrived at Malta on the afternoon of
the 13th inst., from Smyrna; she will probably
leave to-morrow for Naples, to return here in April.
The Prussian screw corvette Medusa, 17, Capt. M.
Struben, bearing the flag of the North German
Confederation, arrived here on the IGth inst., six
days from Alexandria. There was a heavy fall of
rain on the night of the 13th inst., which continued
without intermission for 12 hours. The pluvi-
ameters showed its depth to be nearly three inches
—more, it is said, than has fallen in so short a
period for many years.

The company of the 51st Regiment which has
been stationed at Hampton Court for some time
past is ordered to join the head-quarters of the
corps at Aldershot this day.
The Philomel and Ringdove, twin screw (unar-
moured, wooden) gun vessels, each of 664 tons
measurement and 160-horse power, nominal, of
engines, recently launched from' the dockyards of
Woolwich and Portsmouth, have just made their
official trials of speed over the measured mile on the
completion of their outfit and preparatory to their
commission for foreign service. Both vessels have
been built from designs prepared under the direc-
tion of the Chief Constructor of the Navy, and
both have been fitted with their machinery by
Messrs. Maudslay, Sons, and Co. They are of the
ordinary direct action pattern, as supplied by the
firm to the ships of her Majesty's navy, their cylin-
ders having a diameter of 32in. and a length of
stroke of 18in. The engines of the Philomel drive
a pair of two-bladed screws, each of Bft. 6in, dia-
meter and with a pitch of 12ft. 7iin. The Ring-
dove's engines drive . a pair of three-bladed
screws, each of Bft. 6in. diameter, and with a
pitch of lift. 9in. The Philomel made her trial
over the measured mile off the Maplin ',Sands:
drawing 10ft. Sin. of water at her stern and
9ft. 4in. forward. Six runs over the mile, with
full boiler power, gave the ship a mean rate of speed
of 10.861 knots per hour ; and four runs made with
half-boiler power gave her a mean rate of speed of
9.391 knots per hour. With full boiler power the
diagrams taken gave the engines an indicated power
of 968 horse, and with half-boiler power an indi-
cated power of 452 horse. The trial of the Ring-
dove, which was made over the measured mile in
Stokes Bay on Friday last, was attended with less
favourable conditions of weather than that of her
sister vessel, the wind blowing at a force of from
four to five, with sufficient water disturbance to
produce a damaging effect upon the speed of so
small a ship. Her draught of water was 9ft. 10in.
at the stern, and Bft. 6in. forward. Six runs over
the measured mile with full boiler power gave the
ship a mean rate of speed of 10.632 knots, and four
runs made with half boiler power a mean rate of
8:145 knots per hour. The engines of both ships are
highly finished specimens of engineering work. Mr.
H. C. Maudslay and Mr. Warriner represented the
manufacturers on the trials.