The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-03-02 00:00:00

Irmo anb Nabg.

A Royal warrant has been issued stating that every
non-oominissioned ottloer above the rank of corporal
serving in the regular army shall reoeive an addition of
24. to the present daily pay of his rank, and shall have
no claim to good conduct pay assigned to the ranka be-
low that of sergeant.
Thu RIINPOROEMENTS FOR INDIA.—The following
vessels have been taken up by the East India Company,
and will take troops to the respective porte ; Akbsr,
Vittoria, Poictiers, and Jason, to Calcutta, with Com-
pany's recruits; Indiana, and Abeona, to Calcutta, with
drafts of Queen's Regimenta • Antelope, to Kurrachee,
ditto; Sultan(via Egypt), to Bombay, ditto • Tweedside,
to Madras, ditto; Aberdeen, to Caloutta, ditto;
Upwards of 22,000 men have been attested for the
cavalry and regimente of the line during the last four
months, ThM number is exclusive of the Household
Brigade of Guards.
New barracks are to be built at Glasgow, and the
barracks at Aberdeen are to be enlarged, for the better
accommodation of the troops.
Prince Alfred, it is said, will be appointed to the
Euryalus frigate, probably with a number of other cadets.
She is to be employed as straining-ship, in a three years'
voyage round the world.
With a desire of contributing to the comforts of the
soldiers' mess, and of remedying the acknowledged evils
produced by the present monotonous system of barrack
cookery, Major-General Sir W. F. Williams, command-
ant of Woolwich garrison, has introduced the newly
invented apparatus brought forward by Captain Grant,
R. E. The object and advantages of the new stove
having been detailed by General Williams to His Royal
Highness the Commander-in-Chief on Ids late visit to
Woolwich, the Duke was pleased to approve its imme-
diate erection. The apparatus was on Wednesday put in
frill operation experimentally, when the various processes
of cookingl2owt. of potatoes and ocher vegetables, frying,
stewing, baking, lac., for the supply of the three ordin-
ary meal' for 1,000 soldiers, were satisfactory performed.
A large perpendicular oven, in accordance with the re-
quisite scale of the establishment, forms • most impor-
tant portion of the apperatos, the heat of which is easily
reduced and regulated by means of • small ventilator in
the door, and which likewise serves to carry off any su-
perfluotui steam arising from the crowded state of the
oven. On either side of the shaft in which the oven Is
fixed a huge iron plate supplies facilities for boiling,
stewing, tzo. The fuel used on the occasion did not ex-
ceed six bushels of coals.
_ .

The steam fleet in reserve at Portsmouth is being got
ready for equipment at the shortest notice. The ships
composing it, sews:44ly the lino-of-battle ships, are
being tried almost daily, and the staff of the steam
reserve are indefatigably employed in getting the ships'
msohinery into reliable working order. The Duke of
Wellington, Caesar, Victor Emanuel, and Alfieri are the
most forward, and are expected to be the next large
ships commissioned. The gunboats at Hasler are also
under course of overhaul.

The Meander, 44, Captain Francis Boott, C.B. was
dismasted at Porteinouth onThursday, preparatory to be-
ing placed in ordinary, Captain Scott and crew turning
over to the screw block ship Blenheim, 80.
In consequence of the disclosures which have recently
taken place relative to the constant supply of boiled
meats to the troops of the Line a return hal been obtained
of the description of food supplied to the Chatham divi-
sion of Royal Marine Light Infantry, which may be
taken as • fair test for the whole of that corps. In the
corps of Royal Marines attached to the Chatham
division boiled meat Is never, untie any oirounistanoes,
given to the men. There are 83 rooms in the Marine-
barracks at Chatham, which are occupied on an average
by 12 men each. In every room there is a fryingpan,
gridiron, teakettle, 163., for the use of the men, besides
the regular cooking apparatus, the men in each room be•
log allowed to have their food cooked for them in any we
they may desire. From the return furnished the fol.
lowing is an account of dinners for three days, which
may be taken as the 'romp for a whole year i—Baked
meat and potatoes, 47 dinners ; baked meat and boiled
potatoes, N baked meat with pudding under, 6; Irish
slew, 111; meat pudding, 53.; meat pie, 90 (average
weit Nt of each at lewd Nib.) fried meat ,_I Pea sonPf
rooms 3 dinners each, IN. In addition to
the oninfort and WWI of the men being consulted the
above result Is obtained at a somewhat cheaper rate to
the Marines than, under the present system Is elsorpd
to the troops of the Line.