18 MARCH 1854, Page 8

WAR PREPARATIONS.

The first division of the Baltic fleet, under Sir Charles Napier, left Portsmouth on Saturday last, with lovely weather, and proceeded towards its destination.

Early in the morning, vast multitudes of people had assembled from all quarters, crowding the shore, the pier, and every spot from which a peep could be obtained. Before his departure, Admiral Napier went to the Guildhall to receive an address from the Portsmouth Corporation; then, moving with difficulty through the friendly pressure, he embarked in the Sprightly steamer, accompanied by his daughters,—Mrs. Hay, Mrs. Lacy, and Mrs. Jodrell,—and was conveyed to his flag-ship, the Duke of Wellington. As noon approached, small craft, yachts, and steamers, were everywhere gliding about in the roadstead ; the cheering incessant ; the multitude on shore continually growing larger. The Queen had been expected to take her station in the Duke of Wellington ; but she came not. Up to nearly one o'clock, the grim war fleet lay in silence ; when suddenly the Fairy, bearing the Queen and the Royal Family from Osborne, appeared on the scene, followed by the Admiralty yacht the Black Eagle, the Fire Queen, and the Elfin ; and as her Majesty neared the fleet, the rigging was alive with men, and a royal salute, followed by true sailors' cheers, gave almost the first indication of the vitality there was afloat in the war. ships. When she arrived at the head of the fleet, the Fairy signalled that her Majesty would receive the Admirals and the Captains of the fleet ; and in a few minutes the officers went on board. The reception was brief, but cordial : the Queen shook hands with each, and spoke some parting words. When the officers had returned to their ships, the signal was given to weigh anchor ; and then it became appa- rent that the steam fleet, taking advantage of the favouring breeze, would depart under sail.

The fleet was soon standing on the starboard tack under plain sail, single-reefed topsail, topgallant sail, and jib. The outermost and leeward- most ships were the first to get under weigh, to clear room for the other ships; the St. Jean d'Acre, Tribune, and Imperieuse, were the first to move ; and they were followed by the Blenheim, Amphion, Valorous, Princess Royal, Edinburgh, Ajax, Arrogant, Dragon, Hogue, Royal George, Duke of Wellington, which got under weigh with double-reefed topsails and courses, topgallant sails, jib, and driver—and the Leopard, which, with the Valorous and Dragon, left their anchorage under steam. It was half-past two when the Duke of Wellington got under sail ; and the Leopard, bearing Admiral Plumridge's flag, did not get away till a quarter past three o'clock. Her Majesty, in the Royal yacht, accom- panied by the Fire Queen and Black Eagle, steamed out at the head of the squadron as far as the Nab. The headmost ships had proceeded as far as St. Helen's when they were signalled to shorten sail, to allow the Duke and the Leopard to come up ; and having reached open water, the order of sailing was formed in two divisions, Admiral Napier's and Ad- miral Chads's ships heading the divisions, consisting of the following ships.

The Leopard, Valorous, and Dragon paddles, were on the weather-beam and as repeating-ships. Out at sea, the Queen stopped and watched the fleet pass, each ship giving out three vollies of cheers as she sped by ; and as the Duke of Wellington, the last ship at that point, receded, with hurrahs, the Queen' stood waving her handkerchief to bid them farewell. Proceeding Eastward, the fleet passed Dover about three o'clock on Sunday afternoon, and anchored in the Downs. Here the Heck, return- ing from her exploring expedition in the Baltic, fell in with the squadron, and sent the masters and second masters, who have been taking the soundings, on board their various ships. During the rest of the day the fleet lay in the Downs ; and fairly went off, under steam, on Monday. The first point of muster is Wingo Sound, commanding the mouth of the Cattegat.

The fleet thus on its way comprises, as will be seen from the following list, eight screw line-of-battle ships, four screw, and four paddle-wheel ships of inferior rank, making a total of sixteen war-steamers; of which two, the Duke of Wellington and the Royal George, are three-deckers, while three carry Admirals' flags—Sir Charles Napier's in the Duke, Admiral Chads's in the Edinburgh, and Admiral Plumridge's in the Leo- pard.

Screw Line-of-battle Ships.

Guns. Men.

Horse-power.

The Duke of Wellington ... 131 1,100 780 The Royal George 121 990 400 The St. Jean d'Acre 101 900 650 The Princess Royal 91 850 400 The Blenheim 60 660 450 The Hogue 60 660 450 The Ajax 58 630 450 The Edinburgh 58 630 — 450

— 680 6,420 — i 4,030

Screw Frigates.

Guns. Men.

Horse-power.

The Imperieuse 50 530 360 The Arrogant 47 450 360 The Amphion 34 320 300 The Tribune 30 300 300

161 1,600 1,320

Paddle-wheels.

Guns. Men.

Horse-power.

The Leopard 18 280 560 The Dragon 6 200 560 The Bulldog 6 160 500 Valorous. 16 220 400

46 860 2,020 This force will be augmented to 1019 guns and 10,160 men, when joined by the Cressy 80, and the Etuyalus 50, now on their way.

"It may be interesting," says the Times, "to state that the Duke of Wel- lington, the St. Jean d'Acre, the Princess Royal, the Imperieuse, and the Tribune, are those most recently turned out from our dockyards; that the Blenheim, Hogue' Ajax, and Edinburgh, have recently been employed as block-ships; and that the Amphion and the Arrogant were among the first, if not the first, men-of-war fitted with the screw. The Royal George was built at Chatham so long ago as 1827; the Blenheim, the Ajax, and the Edinburgh, have all borne the brunt of war service already, the last espe- cially, having been at St. Jean d'Acre : so that Sir Charles Napier takes with him to the Baltic at least one strong memento of former triumphs to help him M gaining new ones. The four paddle-wheel frigates will no doubt serve useful purposes in the fleet, though their construction is less favour- able for fighting than the screws. Of these, the division contains the earliest and the latest examples in the service; the difference of speed between the Amphion, which was adapted to that form of propulsion in 1846, and the Tribune, which was built at Sheerness in 1853, serving to show the progress which has been made in the last seven years."

The Neptune, 120, and the Bulldog, 6, left Spithead on Thursday, for the Baltic fleet, bearing the flag of Admiral Corry. The Queen, Prince Albert, and the Royal Family, were present, in the Fairy, to witness their departure. The Neptune has never before been to sea ; but she sailed out in admirable style. Her first destination was the Downs, where she would wait orders and despatches for the Baltic fleet. The other ships, which will ultimately form part of Admiral Corry's squadron, but are not yet ready for sea, are the Cs:eau, 91, the Prince Regent, 90, Boscawen, 70, and the Frolic, 16. When all the ships shall have joined, Sir Charles Napier will have under his command a fleet of forty-four ships, manned by upwards of 22,000 men, mounting about 2200 guns, and propelled by a steam power of more than 16,000 horses. Of the ships, only six will be unaided by steam,—the Neptune, 120, the St. George, 120, the Prince Regent, 90, the Boscawen, 70, the Monarch, 84, and the Cumberland, 70,—noble vessels of the old school.

The Seventy-seventh Regiment, 800 strong, left Liverpool on Friday sennight, and embarked in the Kangaroo for Malta. On Tuesday, the screw-ship Golden Fleece sailed from Plymouth with the Fourth Regi- ment. The Himalaya, the Orinoco the Ripon the Manilla, the Emu, and the Vulcan, have all safely arrived at Malta.

Some of the commanding-officers for the second division of troops have been named. Sir Richard England and Sir De Lacy Evans to have brigades. The cavalry, 2000 strong, to be commanded in chief by Lord Lucan ; Lord Cardigan commanding the light, and Colonel Searle the heavy brigade.

Lieutenant-Colonel Mundy, Assistant-Quartermaster-General at 'Kil- kenny, and author of the volume entitled "Our Antipodes," has been appointed Military Secretary for War and Colonies.

@TAILBOARD.

PORT.

The Duke of Wellington 181 Edinburgh 58 (Admiral Napier.)

(Admiral Chads.)

St. Jean d'Acre 101 Hogue GO Royal George 121 Blenheim 60 Princess Royal 91 Ajax

as

Imperieuse 51 Tribune

so

Arrogant 47 Amphion

84