The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-13 00:00:00

THE CAMP AT CHOBHAM.

A few months since Chobham Common was as
much a Serra incognita to the existing generation of Lon-
doners. se is Central Australia to the settlers on the coast.
Now, it is the centre of attraction and expectation, the
scene of busy labour and preparation. The ground itself
has already been described, sod certainly its bleak and
desolate appearance goes far to account for the curious fact
of a vast uninhabited tract lying within twenty miles or so
of the metropolis of the world. Heath and scrub stretches
out on every side over as undulatiag surface, which is
bard, rugged, and intraetaWe in the more elevated portions,
boggy and spongy in the hollows, and everywhere inter-
sected with deep and dangerous ruts, which may possibly
cost the lives of more than one valuable charger. The best
point of view is the little hillock on the right of the
Chobhem road, which, being favoured with a clump
of trees, has bean selected as the site of Prince
Albert's pavilion. Immediately below this, on

the left the gallant 95th, the advanced guard
of the whole summer army, and upon whom has devolved
the duty, in conjunction with the Sappers and Miaen, of
pureeing the ground for the rest of the troops, have taken
up their quarters. On the right, the 60th (Qseen's Own)
will be stationed. On the extreme right are the royal
stables and the quarters of the cavalry—the Ist Life Guards,
17th Lancer, 13th Light Dragoons, and 6th Carbineers.
Inside these the Sappers and Miners have established them-
selves, and the remainder of the section of the ground will
be filled up with the three battalions of the Foot Guards.
Below the 95th, on the left, the 93rd and 38th Foot have
taken possession of their allotted space : then cores the Horse
and Foot Artillery; and far out on the flick will be the
Rifle brigade, ready to be thrown out as skirmishers at a
moment's notice among.' the imaginary enemies of Virginia
Water. The above will, we believe, be found to be the
arrangements, in so far as they have been determined on up
to this time; but any addition will be made in the same
order, which is the regular "order of battle," according
to the most approved principles of eastrainetation. Each
regiment will have their tents placed in rows of
sin, at regular distances and running at right angles with
the president's pavili n. The tents of the advance parties
are already on the ground, and are distinguished each by a
little pinion of a particular colour. If this arrangement
could be extended to the full camp, so as that each clump
of tents should be distinguished by little pennons et classi-
fied colours fluttering from the top of each, it would not
only add greatly to the picturesqueness of effect but facili-
tate the identification of each regiment by the admiring but
usiniriated public. In that case a military "Dueling'
might make a handsome speculation by the sale of cards,
indicating the colour by which the encampment of each
regiment was to he known. We are indebted to the cour-
tesy of Lieutenant Foster, of the 95th, for an opportunity of
visiting in succetsion,an inhabited soldier's tent,an inhabitsd
officer's tent, and such of the cavalry stables as have already
been erected. The interior of the soldier's lodging struck
its as being by no means uncomfortable, everytning consi-
dered. A thick stratum of dry straw covered the ground,
and bolsters and pillows arranged round the cireum-
terence indicated the position in which fifteen in-
habitants are to sleep, their feet to the centre pole.
Round the pole the guns are ranged ready for notion
at the sound of the trumpet, and havresace, "call-
bashes," and watch-coats scattered about, furnish, if not
the pride and pomp," at least much of the "circum
stance" of glorious war. The officer's tent differs in nothing
from that of his men, except that it contains only a single
lodger. That it is waterproof our reports r testifies from
personal experience, having enjoyed the nospitable shelter
of Mr. Macdonald's of the 95th during the whole of the
thunder storm of Saturday afternoon. Not a drop of fluid
entered on that occasion, except what came in in a perfectly
legitimate and satisfactory manner. A little welled up
from the bottom, but this will be obviated when
each is surrounded with a trench, an operation which is
being carried out with all possible expedition. The camp
furniture of a British officer bears not the slightest resem-
blance to that of a Persian Satrap. It could not be car-
ried in a pocket handkerchief, as recommended by a re-
nowned military commander, seeing that it consists of • tub,
a chest, and an iron bedstead, but it is as homely as the
greatest decrier of featherbed soldiers " could desire. The
stables of the Life Guards, filled with splendid red highly
groomed horses, are as well worthy a visit as any portion of
the encampment. They consist each of one large booth,
the sides being formed of "choppings," and the roof of
canvas, and are large enough to contain each the horses of
a troop. The internal arrangements are the simplest poen-
ble, the tent being merely divided by • couple of ropes run-
ning down its centre, to which the horses are fastened, with
their heads inwards on both sides. Persons who have only
seen these superb black horses in their heavy war harness,
will be quits surprised at their unadorned symmetry
in the stable. The camp kitchen, the most im-
portant feature of all, in these warlike arrangements,
is the subject of much excitement and emulation amongst
the advance parties of the different regiments. The visitor
is puzzled to site the ground cut up here and there into
various mysterious shapes, in some places looking like the
diagram of an astrologer, in others like a city of the Bea-
vers, and in a third resembling some ancient tumulus, the
puzzle of antiquarians. The explanation of all this is,
that the officers of each regiment have separate theories of
combustion and cookery, and may be seen working them
out, up to their elbows in mud, with all the seal of true
science. One party advocates the circular form as most
orthodox and uniform; but the objection to this is, that as
a whirlwind is not always obtainable, one section of the
pots and kettles will 'away. suffer from the absence of the
necessary draught. Others of Indian experience patronise
a simple arrangement of stones above ground, but these
are sometimes blown away at the most critical moment in
cooking, and, besides, have to be re-erected on every change
of the wind. The third and most rational-looking one, to
our unpractised eye, is that adopted by Lieut. Foster for
the 95th, which resembles the Beavers' encampment in form
boils an incredible number of kettles at the same time, eco-
nomises fuel, and has • chimney which draws to &dad.
ration.

Although the camp has shandy been crowded with visi-
tors, especially on the Cup Day at Ascot, when many of the
fashionable attendants at the races drove over in the after-
noon, the first great day will be to-morrow, when all
the regiments are to march in with drums beating and
colones dying, and the whole canvas city is to be " pitched,"
in one moment, at the firing of a gun. Should the day
prove favourable, it would be dincult to anticipate a more
striking sight than the well-disciplined march of ten
thousand of the finest troops in the world, and the spring-
ing up, as if by magic, of hundreds of gay pavilions, ranged
with military precision, after a reinter and uniform design.
The railways and omnibus proprietors are making great
preparstlena, but we fear that it will sorely test their
energies to meet the demands upon them. The troops
will probably arrive in the afternoon, but the exact order
snit, of course, be determined by circutostantes.