The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-10 00:00:00

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE

VALETTA, March Majesty's paddlewheel
frigate Terrible, 21, Capt. Commerell, C. 8., V.C.,
arrived here on the evening of the 23d of February
from the Dardanelles and Smyrna, having on board
the monster Turkish brass gun, which has been re-
ceived in exchange for two Armstrongs. She has
also brought a number of packages of antiquities
from Ephesus and some curious ancient armour
from Rhodes for the British Museum. She is to
leave in a few days for Englaecl,And will take with
her some 20 guns landed here from the Royal Oak.
The Prussian frigate Hertha, carrying the flag of
the North German Confederation, was received
into the Royal Naval dry dock on the 26th of Feb.
After a short stay at Malta she will leave on her
return homewards. The Norwegian steam corvette
Nordstijernen left Malta on the 27th of February,
on her return to Norway, calling at Gibraltar. Her
Majesty's despatch vessel Psyche, Lieut.-Com. Sir
Francis Blackwood, returned here at 9.30 p.m. on
the 28th of February. She had on board the Vice-
Admiral Commander-in-Chief Lord Clarence Paget,
C. 8., Lady Clarence Paget, the two Misses Paget,
Mr. Walter Stewart, R.N , Flag-Lieut., and Mr.
James Kirkness, R.N. The Psyche left Constanti-
nople on the 22d of February, and after paying a
visit of a few hours to the Dardanelles arrived at
Smyrna on the 24th. While the Admiral was at
the Dardanelles an ancient brass gun of enormous
calibre, similar to that which has been presented to
the British Government, was fired in his presence.
The Admiral left Smyrna on the 25th at 2 p.m.,
and sailed for Santeriu to examine the present state
of that group of volcanic islands, remaining there
from 1.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m., when he took his de-
parture for Malta. The new crater was found to
be very active, but in the old one there was no
movement. The island on which these craters are
situated appeared to have risen, and to have also
increased in size laterally since last year. The
weather a Constantinople was extremely cold, with
snow on the ground, a.nd -the thermometer down to
32 deg. A few cases of fever and a case or two of
smallpox having occurred' on board her Majesty's
screw frigate Arethusa, it was decided to separate
her for a time from the rest of the squadron, and
she has been removed from the Grand into the
Quarantine Harbour. The rest of the ships are
healthy. The following deaths have occurred here
since the departure of the last mail :—Ensign 11. F.
Thomson, of the 2d battalion 24th Regiment, landed
here sick en route from India; Lieutenant D. T.
Webber, R.A.. also landed here sick from India ;
and Commander M. G. Jackson, R.N., invalided
from her Majesty's ship Octavia, on the coast of
Abyssinia, and landed here, being too weak to pro-
ceed home. Her Majesty's steam troopship Simoom
is expected at Malta, from England, about the
middle of the present month. She is to bring out
supernumeraries for the A byssinian expedition and
atatkAelhexoatnnedria
inv.alidusefrroAa
jmiAesbtyy's ships in port are thessinia, to be embarked
Hibernia, receiving ship, bearing the flag of Rear-
Admiral H. Kellett, C. 8.; Caledonia, 24, ironclad ;
Lord Clyde, 23, ironclad ; Endymion, 21 ; Enter-
prise, 4, ironclad ; Serapis, 3 ; Cockatrice, 1 ;
Wizard, 1; Tyrian, 1 ; and Caradoc and Psyche,
despatch vessels. The foreign vessels of war here
are the following :—The Egyptian frigate Mo-
hamed Ali, 32, and an Egyptian transport ; and
the Prussian frigate Hertha, 21 guns. The follow-
ing official notice to manners, dated the 28th of
February, and signed by the proper authority, can-
not be too extensively published :—" Mediter-
ranean, Island of Malta, Lighthouse on Delimara
Point, Marsascirocco.-1n consequence of altera-
tionssituated at the south-east end of this island, for the
reception of a new light, the present red light will
to be made in the Delimara Light Tower,
be discontinued on the Ist of April next. As it will
take about two months to complete the tower and
erect the light, further notice will be given of the
time of re-lighting, with the usual description which
is required of the new light.
Her Majesty's screw troopship Crocodile, Capt.
Geo. W. Watson, embarked yesterday at Ports-
mouth detachments of troops to join corps now
serving in India, and will sail this morning at 10
a.m. for Alexandria direct.

;The Avon, twin-screw
(unarmoured, composite
built) gunboat, 467 tons, 120-horse power, one of
the class of vessels recently designed by the Con-
troller of the Navy's office, as representing ideas on
the construction of vessels possessing an iron frame
with an outer sheathing
or shell of wood, and the
application of the twin-screw principle, was put
through her trial over the Admiralty standard mea-
sured miles in Stokes Bay, near Portsmouth, on
Saturday last. The vessel was trimmed to a dip of
13 inches by the stern for the trial, her draught of
water being 7 feet forward and 8 feet 1 inch aft.
She was rigged, had her armament on board,
and a certain portion of her stores. To place
coals to she would have required
to be completed, and her
ohhffieerrcesirlatsoraseensadgaoncindregw with their belongings placed
on board. With her engines working at high
pressure she attained a mean speed of 10.056 knots,
and working at low pressure a mean speed of 9.731
knots. There were several objectionable features con-
nected with the trial, but these may be remedied
when the ship makes her final trial at deep or sea-
going draught. The machinery of the Avon con-
sists of two sets, 60-horse power each, byMaudsleY,
Field, and Co., removed from the hulls of two of the
gunboats recently broken up at Haslar yard.,
The chartered troopship Clifford arrived off Go-
vernment quay, Gravesend, on Saturday, having on
board detachments of various corps serving in the
Mauritius, most of them being invalid troops or
at Mauritius on
time-expired non-commissioned officers and men.
to the Thames
occupying 100 days.
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oo
fr eNnmv
ebma rhke er
thhe
er troopsVoyage
During the- passage two
deaths and one birth occurred on board, the
deaths including one soldier's wife and child. The
troops brought home include 20 non-commissioned
officers and sappers,
grs and Infantry)priva Regiment; 36
privates,
three five soldiers' wives and
15 children of the Royal Engineers ; one non-
commissioned officer of the 2d Battalion of the
nl3otnlln(onaPrminicsesiAnnd Albert's Light
sol-
diers' wives, and eight children of the 32d Regi-
ment ; 40 non-commissioned officers and gunners,
seven soldiers' wives, and 16 children of the 2d
Brig,ide, Royal Artillery ; and one staff-sergeant,
wife, and two children cf the Military Store De-
partment. The following officers arrived with the
troops :—Capt. IL L. Fitzgerald, 2d Battalion 13th
Light Infantry, late Assistant Military Secretary on
the Staff of Major-Gen. E. C. W. M. Milman, and
wife ; Lieut. T. Howard, Royal Engineers, wife,
and three children ; Lieut. J. F. Ballard, 32d Regi-
ment ; and Assist.-Surg. Ferguson, in medical
charge, with Mrs. Ferguson and child. The troops
were disembarked under the superintendence of the
officers of the Staff from Chatham Garrison, the
time-expired men being forwarded to the depots of
their respective corps at Chatham, Colchester,
Maidstone, and the other military stations.
The double screw guniessel Seagull, 3, was