The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-05-24 00:00:00

Srnto anti Napo.

The naval defences in the Australian waters have been
strengthened, and are now under • o,llllllodUre.K 4:41111-
mand. An admiral's station on the Australian coast has
been determined upon.
An order has been issued for the removal of the
Military Stores which lie in the moat of the Tower. We
consider (says the Milted .tirrrire thurtle), this is pre-
paratory to serving out the woo muskets which the
gentlemen from the %Via °Moe told the Commission
were usele•s, excepting in • case of invasion !
Desertion f the army is so frequent that • new
warrant has been issued by the General Commanding-in-
thief authorizing the punishment of dogging in such

cases.
j It is stated that a contract for one of the great iron
I rain steamveasels to be built for the Government ltas
I been obtained by the Thames Ironworks t ouipsiiy. She
will be of 6,000 tool hunlen, with an expected speed of
14 knots, and will cost nearly four times as isitieh as
• first-rate man-of-we:.
The following rather remarkable document was re-
cently issued by W. J. Foster, Deputy Adjutant-onm-
ral :—" C 43 11111 l ending officers do not eireill L. be aware
of the oonsequences attending the employment of music
on the recruiting service, yet the uniform and repeated
representations from all quarters clearly establish the
importance of attaching a drum and life to every recruit-
ing !arty, where such an arrangement is practielde.
His Royal Highness the General Commaniling-in.Gliitf
now desires that you will detail one drummer and one
fifer to join one of your parties employed on the recruit-
ing service, aud you rill at once submit the station of
' the party you may select for this addition, when the
necessary authority will be bent to you."
The officers of Her Majesty's ship Orion, while
stationed at Genoa, bad an opportunity of seeing the
French army land—some 80.000 inen—and they were
much struck with the admirable arrangements. Every-
thing was clooe without confusion and with an expedition
that appeared almost niiractilous. For instance, the
Grand Bretagne arrived at 10 a.m. with 3,000 soldier.;
• they were landed awl the vessel at sea proceeding for
another freight at 2 p.m. In four houra the vessel lied
entered the port, landed 3.000 wen, and was On ho-c
return voyage, and th a done with the utmost system
and regulanty. On the rams day another large vessel
arrived with cavalry, at 7 a.m., and another with
cavalry at 10 a.in. The horses and roldiers were all
landed, and the vessel at ma, by 2 p.m. During the
stay of the Orion the officers perambulated all farts of
the town, and could not but feel surprised at the orderly
Mate it was in from the immenae masses of troops
passing, and during the whole time they saw but two
boldien the worse for liquor. The French soldiers
appeared, though enthusiastic, yet serious as men
who felt they bad their work to do, ani Geoid only
hope for meow by an effort that would require all their

strength and energy.
Several of the vessels which were originally intended
for service in the Channel have been despatched to the
Mediterranean : they include five line-of-battle ships
and one corvette :—The Royal Albert, 191, bearing the
flag of Rear-Adsraind freematle ; the Renown, 91; the

Orion, 91; the Victor Emmanuel, 91; the Brunswick.
MO, and the Racoon, 21. For the immediate defence of
our own shores, we have the St. Jean d'Acre. 101 the
Exmouth, 91; the Hero, 91; the James Watt, 91; the
Algiers, 91; the Loudon, 91; the Creasy, 80 ; the
Caesar, 91 (now on special service in the West Indies),
and the Agamemnon, 91. Of frigate* there are tlo.
Liffey, 51; the Emerald, 51; the Henley, 40 ; the
• Diadem, 32 (also on special service) ; the Doris, 32; the
Curacoa, 32; the Termagant, 25, and the Cadmus, 21. Of
smaller a moels, there are the Brisk, IS; the Falcon, 16;
the Pioneer, 6 ; the Flying Fish; (lit Intrepid, 6, and
the Assiirance. 4—all of the before-mentioned Aline be-
ing screws. Then there are, of paddles, the Firebrand,
•6 ; Virago, 6 ; and Gorgon. 6. Tlic majority of the
ships oimpuoing this important tleet have been ootu-
in'a 'lolled during the past few weeks, and are, for the
most part, fully manned. We Lave also a p,iwerful re-
serve reedy to be commeolioned, including the Duke of
Wellington. 131 ; Sovereign. 131 ; Royal George,
102 ; Edgar, 91; Colossus. $0; Goliath, 86; Meminee,
80: Majestic. 80; Mars, 80; Melpomene, 51;
rieine, ; Orlando, 50; Dauntless, 32; and also, for
the purpose of home defence, there are the sem w block-
ships Nile, 91; Cornwallis. 60; Petibroke, 60; Blen-
heim, 60; Russell, 60; Hawke, 60 ; Ajax, (I);
hur4ll. 60 ; Hastings, 60; Hogue, 60. and the .Arrogant,
47. The untidier of vessels in co,iiiiiioiofl therefore, on
the home station, exclusive of the Cedar WI Diadem.
are—ships of the line. 17; frizaks. ; smalsv vessels.
9. Line-olbattle ships ready rot counnission, 10,
frir ti,,. 3.
lstr;sv,n Itrviihven.—Metuirs. Deane and Son have
lately submitted for the approval of the militsry
usnthio-
ritcss it much improved revolver, the Mternal mechanism
OF wha-li lessens the intriesey of He action, and hy
very simple arrangement locks the hiamuiuier and cylinder
is such a manner e lien not in use as•o do away with the
chance of occident. The improtesient is termed the
Diane and Iforiling patent. awl aiming other valuable
simpliticstions, has one hy whith ahnost instantly tlie
cylinder Rod herrel irsill be separated from the stock for
the purpose of cleaning. A powerful lever ramrod,
acting vertically on the bullet, is alo added.
MONSTER CASTING.—On SiittlTlo3 werk a large anvil
block was cast at the foun iry sit kessr.i. blioniznoti Fool
Co.. Ouseburn, New,astlemii-Tyne. The hi...A is for
an inoitense 'slimmer to be used as the making of Sir
William Arturt g'sgnns at the Elswick Engine Works
in that town. When hliiisliii it wil weigh 'towards of
21 4 tons. It was cost in one run. moil the quantity of
uietal melted for it was 23 tons. The oize of the hase
of the block is 6 feet 6 inches he 9 fait, and :Xs thickness
91 inches, and the size of the body part 3 feet 10 inches
hy 3 feet 9 inches. li, comieluesice of the great heat
in the casting it had to lies week befure it was possible
to raise it.
RI.:CRUITINO Fog THE NATT.—The een's procla-
mation offering bounties for entering the Royal navy
has created a great itetioation in the Thameo. and there
is no doubt that the merchant service will be materially
inoonvenienceil by the loss of its best hands. During
the past fortnight a *Bev van drawn by four grept, with
a hand of music, has been engaged by order of the Lords
of the Admiralty. to arouse the ardour of the tars will-
ing to serve the Queen, and accept the bounty. Thin
novel cavalcade, preomleil by outriders, the roof covered
with volunteers, with the Union Jack hoisted above
them, and the interior filled with warrant officers from
the Crocodile receiving•siiiii, off the Tower, has been
daily making a successful cruise through the principal
streets in Wapping. St. Georgein-the East, Shoehorn,
Ratcliff. Stepney, Linn:house. mil Blackwell. Numerous
volunteers. both ircalipla slid lalPinaurn, °item' them-
selves, and those who were approved were forwarded
to the Crocodile receiv ingship of the Tower, where hung
berths and good treatment awaited them. Many, how-
ever, were rejected by the doctors, and it was announced
that it was of no use for any tut men and lads in a
',mild state of health to attempt to enter the navy.
DEFENCE OF THE Cii.trer. —Sone time ago, the War-
office authorities communicated with the corporation of
Hardepotil respecting the lease sf a portion of the town
mour for the purpooe of en-din& heavy botteries for the
defence of that part of the cwt. The corporation
liberally agreed to grant a leisie for 999 years at •
'Poulain' rent, and the authoritioi seemed as, urgent that
matters were pushed forward with all possible speed.
end the lease for the conveyance of the ground prepared
ready for signature. Great sirpriiie was, however,
created • few slays ago on the receipt of aco 11111 l
thin from the Warmffiee,staVngthat on &careful survey
if the proposed site the cliff had been found to be 60
touch worn away and to be in such a progressive state of
decay that it was deemed inetpedient to erect the
batteries thereon until the cliff were protected by • sea
wall. The corporation having no means of doing the
work laid the limper before the Port and Harbour
Commissioners, asking their acsatanee. The 11111 l is.
shiners replied that on account el their liabilities they
were not in a position to hu,,hrl ont any hopes of osaistance
totl o irporation in the prote .8 of the cliff. Ata special
meeting of the corporation held os Tuesday even'ng this
reply was laid before the meet ng, and it was resolve I to
coinuothic.ate with the War-offi• e authorities. expressing
the inability of the corporation to perform the necessary
works. There is therefore every proopect, unless the
Government will expend the y on the protection of
the oliff, that this important part of the nortli-east coast
will remain in ita present unprotected state.