The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-13 00:00:00

NAVAL AND

NTELLIGENCE.

The officers and men belonging to the 98th Regi-
ment who were left behind on the embarkation of
the several companies of that corps for India have
been directed to proceed from Dublin to Chatham
for the purpose of joining the 2d battalion of that
gerrison, under the command of Col. R. N. Phillips.
The 10th and 21st companies of Royal Engineers,
who are under orders to embark for India, are in
-daily expectation of the arrival of their route at
head-quarters, Chatham, when they will proceed
to Southampton and embark for Alexandria, fiom
which port they will proceed overland to India. In
addition to the sapping and mining tools and other
necessaries taken out to India, the troops will also
be provided with a supply of the newly-invented
waterproof tents, marquees for the officers, and
havresacks. Each man will likewise be furnished
with two cholera belts before his departure from
Woolwich. The following officers of 'the Royal
Engineers are under orders to embark with the
companies, viz. :—Captain A. A'Court Fisher, in
command of the 10th company ; Captain Ct-laston-
bury Neville, commanding the 21st company ; Cap-
tain F. E. Cox, Adjutant; Lieutenant G. Longley,
Lieutenant W. B. Gossett, Lieutenant J. M. H.
Maitland, Lieutenant E. R. Posting, Lieutenant
J. B. Edwards, and Lieutenant R. Thaine.
Yesterday orders were received at the Provi-
sional battalion, Chatham, directing that recruits
for the Indian depots are now to be taken up to 30
years of age.
Lieutenant James Robinson was yesterday ap-
pointed to the Urgent, in the room of Lieutenant
Dent, whose appointment has been cancelled.
The Diadem, 32, screw, Captain (Shell) Moorsom,
will leave Portsmouth harbour on Friday-or Satur-
day next for, additional trial of her speed at the
measured mile in Stokes Bay. She will after that
take a three week' cruise in the Channel to test her
other advantages in gunnery and sea-going quali-
ties.

The Edinburgh, GO screw.—Captain Halsted has
kindly allowed the officers and men of his ship to
perform as amateur theatricals on Friday neat, at
Sheerness, at the Co-operative Hall, in ai4 of the
Indian Relief Fund. The pieces selected are,
"Raising the Wind," "Box and Cox.," &e., and,
considering the praiseworthy motive that has in-
duced these officers and men to volunteer their
services, no doubt will be met with a spirited
support.
The Mars, 80, screw, at Sheerness, was ordered
to take her trial trip yesterday. but the same was
countermanded—report says for another fortnight.
Her three lower masts are in, and she has coaled.
During the late gales the commander and officers
of the Rhadamanthus found the great advantages
of having the boats fitted with Clifford's patent
boat lowering gear, which imparted a confidence
to the crew in the heaviest of weather in cases of
accident. _ _ _

The Wellington, 72, Captain John Moore, is still
fitting out in Sheerness harbour for a coast-guard
ship in the river Clyde ; she gets hands very slowly ;
Ist November is named for her leaving there.
The new dock in the Portsmouth Royal Dock-
yard is progressing most favourably, anti when
completed will be upwards of 650 feet in length.
It will be so arranged that caissons will be fitted to
grooves, so as to permit one, two, or three ships:to
he docked, according to their length. The entrance
will be from the harbour.

The paddlewheel steamvessel Otter, lieutenant
Commander Cortland H. Simpson, arrived at Sheer-
ness on Sunday, at 2, from Scotland,. leaving Hull
on Saturday evening last. Her station or cruising
ground for the protection of British fishermen ex-
tended from 150 to 200 miles, taking in the coasts
of Northumberland, Durham and Yorkhiro.

MILITIA.

The Royal Wiltshire Militia, Colonel Lord Me-
cham, arrived at Aldershott yesterday from De-
vizes. They are quartered in the NorthiCamp.

ARTILLERY FOR INDIA.

The splendid screw steamship Australasia, Cap-
tain J. See3les, belonging to the Royal Mail Com-
pany, left Southampton yesterday afternoon with
a heavy mail for Malta, Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, the
Australian and New Zealand colonies, 30,3201. in
specie, jewelry value 2,0001., and a full cargo, in-
cluding a large quantity of military stores. She
also takes out a total of about 150 passengers
(a few of whom join the ship via Marseilles),
among whom are 13 officers of the Royal
Artillery, and a number of medical men attached
to the army, on their way to India by the
overland route. Two companies of the Royal Ar-
tillery, numbering 221 rank and file, also embark
by this steamer for the same destination.
The troops, comprising 3 officers and 110 men of
the 6th company 11th battalion, and 6 officers and
111 men of No. 3, Capt. J. E. Thring's company,
2d battalion, Royal Artillery, atrived at- Southamp-
ton at mid-day on Sunday by railway from Wool-
wich. They embarked immediately on board the
Australasian, which went out oi dock between 4 and
5 o'clock the same afternoon, enthusiastic cheers
being exchanged between the troops and the spec-
tators wbo had assembled in the docks to witness
their embarkation. The gallant ship lay to in the
river off the West India buoy till yesterday, when
she received the remainder of her mails and sailed
about 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

The following is a list of the artillery officers who
have stifled in the Australasian :—Lieut.-Col. E.
Maberly, commanding ; Lieut. G. .L Smart, acting
adjutant ; Lieut. T. B. Strange, acting quartermas-
ter ; Capt. J. E. Thring and W. N. Wler ; Lieuts.
R. C. Smith, H. A. Tracey, J. Robd.rtson, S. C.
Kyle, E. de L. Tarleton, and E. C. Cuthbert ; As-
sistant-Surgeon A. R. Smith.
Among the passengers is Mr. C. Wetton, who
accompanies the troops as far as Suez, for the pur-
pose of superintending the arrangements for their
comfort during the transit on the part of the Royal
Mail Company. Mr. Wetton is going out to Aus-
tralia for two years to undertake the superintend-
ence of the mail service by the Suez route with the
whole Australian colonies, and to get the system
into good working order. Pending the arrangement
of this service the praparationsfor the establishment
, of the Panama route will necessarily remain in
abeyance. Having lately returned from Australia,
where he has been engaged on a special mission
connected with this question, and having had great
experience in matters of steam navigation, there is
every probability that, under Mr. Wetton's guid-
ance, the postal service with Australia will now
work better than it has hitherto done—a deside-
ratum alike to the colonists and the inhabitants of

the mother country.
IMr. G. A. Arney, late of the Western Circuit,
( and Recorder of the city of Winchester, also goes
out by this steamer, to enter upon his duties as
Chief Justice of IsTewZealand,—a position for which
his qualities as a scholar and a gentleman well befit
him. He joins the Australasian at Malta, via
Marseilles.
The departure of this noble vessel excited great
interest, and several of the directors of the Royal
Mail Company were among the numerous staff of
visitors who witnessed her leaving port. The
whole of the arrangements had been completed in
the renst satisfactory manner under the direction of
Capt. W. Vincent, the company's superintendent,
and nothing seemed wanting to insure the comfort
and well-doing of all on board during her voyage
up the Mediterranean.