WAR PREPARATIONS.

The warlike preparations of the past month for the embarkation of the first division of the Anglo-French army for service in European Turkey have now approached completion, and before many days have elapsed the whole of the infantry will have embarked. On Monday, the First Bat- talion of the Fusileera and the Third of the Grenadier Guards assembled in the yard of the Wellington Barracks for inspection. A crowd of spec-

tators assembled in the Park, some on the rising ground partly commend- ing the barrack-yard, others on the fences within the Park, others on the spikes of the palisades. Throngs of carriage; carts, and cabs, were drawn up in the road, and the lower gate of the yard was besieged by a mixed multitude. Carriage after carriage drove up and set down its fair occu- pants; who entered the gate and took their stations at the barrack-win- dows and over the porticoes. Shortly before eleven the Duke of Cam- bridge rode up ; the Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary fol- lowed in a carriage—the only one admitted within the gates • and at eleven, Prince Albert, with his aides-de-camp, walked from Buckingham Palace through a lane of spectators to inspect the troops. This duty was performed with great minuteness, while the splendid band played various airs ; and finally the whole concluded with a defile of the troops to the music of "British Grenadiers." They then marched back to St. George's Barracks, accompanied by a sympathizing escort of people.

After the inspection, the following brigade order was issued-

" The Field-officer in Brigade Waiting has received the commands of his Royal Highness Prince Albert to express to the officers and men of the Third Battalion of Grenadier Guards, and of the First Battalion Scots Fusileer Guards, the pleasure and gratification which their splendid and aoldierlike appearance gave him when these battalions paraded this morning ; and to assure them at the same time, that his Royal Highness's most cordial good -wishes will constantly attend them in the service abroad on which they are about to proceed." The march of these battalions for Southampton was fixed for Wednes- day morning at five o'clock. What then took place was graphically de- scribed in the Times of Thursday morning- " It was indeed a strange sight that London saw yesterday, scarcely ima- aginable by quiet citizens, and very different from what we picture to our- selves when we read of armies. We said ' yesterday,' but it was long before dawn ; the stars still shone above, and the lamps flared below. For hours several thousand people of all ranks had occupied what Peel called the finest site in Europe, looking intently to an opening which most Londoners ima- gMe to lead only to the ground-floor of the National Gallery, but which in fact is the South entrance of St. George's Barracks behind that building. For those hours all that could be seen was the gleam of a solitary bayonet passing to and fro, and all that could be heard was the clock striking quar- ters from the tower of the neighbouring church. The multitude were toler- ably patient, but decidedly loyal; and, finding by repeated but desultory experiments that it availed but little to call for the Grenadiers before they chose to come, they sang the National Anthem and 'Rule, Britannia,' not with much precision perhaps, but with a body of sound which must have filled the whole space down to Whitehall. The self-constituted orchestra found its own applause, and cheered long and lustily, with or without spe- cial reason. At length the darkness under the portal became faintly relieved by the glitter of brass instruments, indicating that the band had taken its place, and the regiment was formed within. Soon after five, with a clash of music, the band emerged, to the immense delight of the multitude, and marched straight towards the Strand, where it took up its station. After the pause of a minute came the famous Grenadiers. If any one of the many thousand unwarlike spectators expected to see them emerge solemnly and slowly, with an unbroken column of bayonets and lofty fur caps, he must have been strangely disappointed, for they rushed forth without order from the narrow portal, and ran or rather bounded down the descent towards the pavement. It seemed as if every man, on reaching the street, was cheered afresh by the multitude which received him, and in which he was sure to see some friend. But, continuing their pace, they ran with a running escort of friends and noisy admirers to Joni the column in the Strand till the whole had emerged. When formed, the regiment, about a thousand strong, and just showing their bayonets and black fur caps above the heads of a vast multitude which filled the Strand, marched over Waterloo Bridge to the station. The incessant cheering, the music, and occasionally the wild but hearty chorus of the mob, soon brought the sleepers to their windows; and many a strange figure was seen waving and shouting a farewell through the dusk. It was still dark ; the light was still that of the lamps • and a stranger suddenly roused from his bed to look down on the scene might have dreamt of the French Revolution and its nocturnal horrors. As our reporters tell us, the Grenadiers marched, thus escorted, to the Waterloo station ; and were there welcomed by fresh thousands."

The troops were soon accommodated at the railway; and, pleasant co- incidence, the engine of the train was driven by Francois Harmont, a French engine-driver, assisted by Rouse, a sturdy British stoker. Here was an exemplification of the "entente cordiale" ! At Southampton they had been preceded by the Coldstreame from Chichester, who took the Southampton folks by surprise. The rail car- ried them straight down to the docks. Here one detachment waited while the other got on board ; the men in the highest spirits, joking about the work in prospect, and filling the railway station with the sounds of boisterous mirtk.

By this time Southampton grew alive to what was taking place ; the Population streamed forth en masse to meet the Grenadiers; and the road to the dock was blocked up with the multitude. It had been ar- ranged that the dock-gates should be kept closed until the troops were fairly on board; but so eager were the crowd that they entered with the rear of the soldiers, and prevented the police from closing the gates. Gradually the whole battalion filed on board, the decks of the steamers Presenting a picture of seemingly inextricable confusion; while the dock- wall was occupied by a mass of spectators of all ranks. One by one the

ships left their moorings, and proceeded out of the dock ; the Manilla taking the lead. Then the Ripon swung off; the troops on board an- swering the shouts from the shore in a gallant fashion. The Orinoco had to wait two hours for the tide; but at length she swung round; a tug took her in tow, and as her head turned to seaward and her own engines came into play, she swept proudly out into Cowes Roads. The acclama- tions from the shore grew louder than ever ; and the Coldstrcams replied with those stirring cheers which precede the rush of a British battalion in battle. For the night the steamers remained in tho roads; an ar- rangement by which the men were initiated into shipboard life before they were called upon "to pay tribute to Neptune." "It is alleged that the sea-god is more exacting in this particular with soldiers than with any other class of landsmen ; and though the two battalions embarked yesterday looked cheerful and high-hearted enough, it may be questioned whether they are not at the present moment succumbing to an influence the power of which the Emperor Nicholas may well envy."

About the same time, the Twenty-eighth embarked at Liverpool, ac- companied by similar demonstrations. Their route to the pier was flanked by crowds ; the windows were full of ladies ; and cheers pealed forth at intervals rapidly following on each other. On their way the regiment halted for a time on the Exchange flag-stones, while the officers took a hurried and farewell repast with the Mayor. As the troops left the piers in steam tenders for the Niagara, each filled from bow to stern with soldiers, cheers, repeatedly demanded " for the gallant Twenty-eighth," were given with right goodwill ; the troops waving their hats and echo- ing the " hurrahs."

Early on the same morning, the Fiftieth and Thirty-third embarked at Dublin, in the Cambria.

The remaining regiments will all be on board by Tuesday neat. The brigade from the Mediterranean will consist of the Forty-first and Forty-ninth Regiments at Malta, and the Forty-fourth at Gibraltar. The Gazette of Tuesday contained the following announcement of the appointment of the officers to command the British auxiliary contingent in the Turkish war.

Brevet.

Lieut.-Gen. Fitzroy James Henry Lord Raglan, G.C.B., to be Commander of the Forces about proceeding on a particular service, with the rank of Ge- neral while so employed. Col. Henry John William Bentinck, of the Coldstream Guards; Col. Sir Colin Campbell, K.B., upon half-pay Unattached.; Col. Richard Airey, upon half-pay Unattached ; and Col. William Eyre, C.B., of the 73d Regiment of Foot; to be Brigadier-Generals while employed upon the Staff of the Forces about proceeding upon a particular service. The above commissions to bear date the 21st of February 1854.

Colonel Airey, having been appointed to command a brigade in the Mediterranean expedition, his post as Military Secretary to Lord Herdinge became vacant. He is succeeded by Major-General Yorke,— a distinguished officer who served in the last war from Rolica to Water- loo, and more recently in the Caffre war.

The strong representations of Mr. Guthrie with respect to the medical service of the Army have been promptly taken up by the Government. Mr. Sidney Herbert acted without delay on the suggestions of Mr. Guth- rie ; and the Times assures us that " our ',soldiers will no longer be per- mitted to want for any of those aids which the resources of science can supply, nor will the medical staff of the Mediterranean expedition be in any respect less perfectly organized than its other departments." For once, then, the vigour of a Minister has defeated the obstructiveness of the " four or five departments" alluded to by Mr. Guthrie.

The medical stores for the expedition have been provided partly from Apothecaries' Hall, and partly from the well-known firm of Savory and Sons, in New Bond Street. The latter have supplied twelve large medi- cine-chests and thirty-nine panniers, to be carried on mules and donkeys, and neatly packed with every description of medical and surgical appli- ance. Among the items included are 1000 pounds of lint, 1000 pounds of tow, 200 old sheets, and 1000 yards of adhesive plaster. It took four waggons to convey Messrs. Savory's part of the medical stores to the Tower.

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Postmaster-General have been busily making arrangements for the transmission of mails and despatches to the East. The Submarine and Electric Telegraph Com- pany have contracted to send orders by day or night as far as Marseilles; the Peninsular and Oriental Company have placed their two rapid steam- ers, the Vectis and Valetta, at the disposal of Government as despatch- boats between Marseilles and Constantinople ; and both the French and English railways will have special trains constantly in readiness to carry despatches and couriers. Preparations are already made for the second division. A circular from the Horse Guards to the officers commanding at Dublin, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Manchester, and Edinburgh, has been issued, calling for a return to show how many men each regiment will require, so that 800 effeetives might be brought into the field, as it is probable the regiments will be immediately ordered for foreign service.