The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-07 00:00:00

TES HYTHE SCHOOL OF MUSKETRY.

The annual report of the Inspector-General of
Musketry for the year ending March 31, 1861, which has
just been laid before the Commander-in-Chief, consists
mainly of tabulated returns of the ride training of each
regiment in the service, and shows the Ist bettaliou 22nd
Foot as the best shooting battalion of the army (it was also
the best in the year 16,;9-60), it. " figure of merit" being
51.66 ; and the ho. 6 company of the same battalion as the
best shooting company in the army, its " figure of merit"
being 55'46. " The shooting of the army, as a whets, race
unproved," General Hay remarks, "and another yeses ex-
perience proves the soundness of the system now in
operation to train the venous corps and battalions to the
efficient use of the rifle, not only in the United King-
dom, but in the several colonies and possessiors
of the empire where her Majesty's troops are quartered."
At the Myths School of Musketry 176 officers, including
six of the Irish constabulary, have undergone instruction ;
of which number 112, or 64 per cent., became firstrJaas
shots, and 56, or 32 per cent., second-class shots, leaving
or only 4 per cent., in the third clam 731 sergeants and
rank and tile have been instructed at Hythe, of which num-
ber 416, or 57 per cent , became first•class shots, and 292, or
40 per cent., second-class shots, leaving only 23, or 3 per
cent., in the think class. 247 volunteers from different
corps have been exercised at Hythe through the modified
course approved for that force, of which number 133, or 54
per cent., became first-class shots, and 112, or 45
per cent., seeond-class shots, leaving only 2 in the third clam
In all the practices that establish the "figure of merit,"
there was an improvement on the preceding year, with the
exceptions that in file airing the volunteers comedown
from 11'68 to 11'26, end in skirmishing from 4'06 to 4'89.
The figure of merit was, for officers, 46'24 ; for non-com-
missioned officers and privates, 44'86; for volunteers, 4567.
lest year the figure of merit was 44'18, 41'37, and 43'72 re-
spectively. General Hay remarks that " the volunteen are
specially drilled by the firsoclass argued instructors of the
establishment, which circumstance, coupled with the great
attention they give to the subject, will account, in some
measure, for the proficiency they acquire in so short a time."
Of the 176 officers who pissed through the school in 1860-1,
72 entered the first class and 43 became marksmen, making?
pinata and upwards in thefirst class. Of the 731 eergeantasud
rank and file, 288 entered the first class and 41 became marks-
men. Of the 247 volunteers, 90 mitered the first class, and 88
of that 90 became marksmen. The per ceutage of marksmen
to the total number instructed is, therefore-Officers, 24 ;
sergeants and rank and file, 19 ; volunteers, 15. To the
number of persona in the first clam the per tentages are re-
spectively 60, 49, 42. The three partied of volunteers who
were at the wheel between May 9, 1860, and March 31. 1961,
consisted of 78, 74, and 95 members respectively. The Ame
of merit of the first party was 45111.1; the per ceotage orbit
class shots, 47. Of the second party, the figure of merit was
47'11; the per cartage of first-class shuts, 45. The third
party took 45'02 as their figure of merit, and pvs 66 per
cent. first-class shots. The figure of merit is the average
of points made by all the individuals in each party in the
first period PO rounds at 150, 218), 250, and MO yards-five
rounds each), in file firing, standing, at 300 yards; in volley
firing, kneeling, at 400 yards ; and in skirmishing, between
400 and 200 yards. First-class shots are those who, having
made 12 pants in the second class (20 rounds at 400, 500,
550, and 600 yards-five rounds each), are admitted to fire
at 650, 700, 800, and 9110 yards. Notwithstanding the gene-
ral average of officers is higher than the general average of
soldiers, the greatest number of points obtained by an indi-
vidual at the emend distances was in fav"ur of :be latter
at the 200. 250, 700. 800, and 900 yards distances, while at
each of the other deferrers the greatest number the
earns with officers and men. Ia the third and first classes
also the greatest number of points obtained by se individual
was in favour of the soldier.. in the second class officers
and men were equal in their highest number. The greatest
average points obtained by • single " party " iu the several
classes was, in the thin) class officers 21'18, soldiers 23'77 ;
is the second class, of 14'76, soldiers 10'86 ; in the
first class, officers 7'90, men 7'51. The conclusion is, that
individual soldiers and the " parties" of soldiers have the
advantage over officers at from 150 to 300 pods ; that while
individual officers and men are equal at 400 to 600 pude,
parties of officers have a great superiority over parties of
men at those distances ; and that while individual men take
• sensible advantage over individual officers at from 650 to
900 yards, theofficers in parties have superiority of les than
a half per cent. over the golden.

THE MILITARY OUTRAGE AT ShEYFIELD.—At the
Sheftield Police Court, on Tuesday, the investigation into
the charge against a young man named Michael Mason, of
ktillfoot, of tiring upon several persons on the public read,
was resumed. It will be remembered that the prisoner was
in company with several soldiers, that a boy was abused by
the sergeant, that the boy's father iuterfered, and the ser
geant and Mason (as was then stated) tired eight or nine
shots on the people on the road. The sergeant was degraded
to the ranks, and sentenced by court-inertial to twelve
months' hard labour at Weedon. The CAW against Mason
was now taken, and the evidence on the opposite sides was
extremely coutradictory. After this evidence, Mr. Wilson
()reread said the beach had no alternative but to dismiss the
case. No jury would convict after the evidence given by
the two soldiers, and whatever might be the impression on
the minds of the bench as to whether Mason had fired or
not, he must be discharged.

THE LATE GALE.—TII6 Gcnertl Steam Naviga-
tion Company's steamship Clarence, Capt. Wilson, arrived
at Groton from London on Monday at midnight, having
encountered very severe weather. On Satunlay, about five
p.m., saw a brig on the Middle Sand in the Same, with sig-
nals of distress flying, and the crew in the rigging waving
for help. With much difficulty the steamer approached,
on which the crew, eight men, took to their boat, but it re-
maining attached to the vessel by a rope, it was only by
great exertion that Captain Wilson wan euabled to save
them. The men stated that the vessel was the Viniro, of
Hartlepool, coal-laden ; that in attempting to conic to an
anchor one of her cables broke, when she drove on the Lind ;
tluit five steamers had passed them without making any
attempt to help them, and as it was getting dark when the
Clarence applatrod they had almost given up hope. The
master remained in the vessel ; the nun state that he posi-
tively refused to avail bimself of the MOWS of reicue.
Scotsman. _ _

WRECK Of A LIVERPOOL VD:SEL.—ESCAPE OF
TEI CREW FROM MURDEIL —lnfonnation Lea been received
in Liverpool of the total loss of the schooner Shark,
120 tons register, belonging to Liverpool. The ves-
sel has usually been espied in the South American trade ;
but on the occasion of her wreck she was chartered for •
voyage to the West Cornet of Africa, and sailed from the
Mersey for that coast in June last. The voyage was suc-
cessfully prosecuted until the Bth of August, when, enter-
ing the river Congo, she ran ashore at a place known es
Shark Point, and almost immediately become • total wreck.
After she was driven on shore the natives gathered from the
interior on to the beach iu great numbers, and, despite the
exertions of the captain and crew, took possession of the
cargo, valued at 6,0001. The natives are named Mosso-
longue, sod wore armed with musket'. They immediately
commenced shooting at the unfortunate crew,who were
obliged to make their escape in the schooner's oat to Ilaw
their lives. After they left the vessel, the natives continued
to fire at them, until the current carried them out of range.
Having received intelligence of the outrage, her Majesty's
ship Arrogant arrived ut the River Congo about eight
days after the wreck, but in the meantime the natives had
taken the vessel to pieces, to get the iron snil copper bolts
from her, and with these, the cargo, sails, spars, and copper
from her hull, they made off into the interior. Before
leaving the Congo, the Arrogant destroyed a number of
huts which the natives had constructed on the beach. As
the Shark was owned in Liverpool, it is more than likely
that her loss will be opened bymiturance.

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Tae BLACK PEINCL—Thin ponderous vessel was
on Tuesday removed from Victoria Harbour, Greenock, to
anchorage at the Tail of the Bank, there to he finished pre-
vious to leaving Clyde, which she is expected to do in about ,
two months her.o• No difficulty was experienced in the
removal. Them was a very high tide, with about 25 feet
depth of water, in Victoria Harbour, and as the Black ;
Prince was drawling about 23 feet, there was a liberal ,
margin. Two tugs were in attendance, and steam was up !
on board the large mewl, but it was almost unuecessary.
The number of nun Dow employed on board is said to be
I,36o.—North British Mail.
Yesterday the Liverpool, New York. and Phila-
delphia Company's steamer (Sty of Manchester wee de-
spatched from Liverpool for New York with mails for the
United States. with 9711. in specie and about 20 cabin pas.
seogen. The Quebec and Montreal Royal Mail steamer
Norwegian will be despatched from the Mersey to-day
(Thursday) for Quebec with the Canadian and United Statee
mails. The box at the Liverpool POIL•tatY will be open
for the receipt of letters, hc., until 12.30 p.m.