The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-22 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The summer inspection of the Ist (Chatham) Division of
Royal Marine Light Infantry, which commenced on Wed-

nesday, was continued yesterday by Major Gen, A. B.
Stransham, Inscector•General, Royal Marines, who was
accompanied by Lieut.-Col. G. B, Rodney, Assistant-Ad-
jutant-General, and Capt. J. C. Travers, Aide-de-Camp_

On the occasion of the first day's inspection the whole of
the men of the division vita naa comptetad their drill anu

were returned fit for battalion duty, to the number of about
700 of all ranks, were marched to Chatham Great Lines,
under the command of Col.-Commandant T. Lemon, C.B
Notwithstanding the great heat of the weather, the whole
of the men were in heavy marching order, and each man,
in addition to his kit, carried 15 rounds of blank cartridge.
The division having been formed in line, Gen. Stransham,
accompanied by his staff, rode to the front, and was received
with a general salute and colours lowered. Preparations were
then made for a course of field-day manoeuvres, and on the

Inspector-General taking his stand at the flagstaff the entire
division gave the customary march-pest, in slow and quick
time, in open and closed columns of companies. This was
the least satisfactory i_ortion of the day's manoeuvres, and
for once the Royal Marines lid not sustain their well-earned
reputation for almost faultless marching. The great heat
of the weather, with the equipment of the men, was the
cause of this—and, indeed, in proof of the effect the weather
had on th 3 battalion it may be mentioned that at least a
dozen of the men fell out of the ranks during the inspection,

overcome by the heat. At the termination of the marching
past the flank companies threw out their skirmishers for
repelling a supposed attacking force, and in the course of a
few minutes the entire battalion advanced and were supposed
to be engaged with the enemy. At the same time a variety
of interesting movements were performed, in which the offi-
cers and man of the division acquitted themselves in a highly
satisfactory manner. Major-Gen. Stranshatu afterwards
inspected the officers in the bayonet exercise. At the close
of the inspection Major-Gen. Stransham addressed the
officers and men of the battalion, and expressed his satisfac-
tion at the highly efficient state of the division. Although
he had not observed the customary steadiness in the ranks
during the marching past, yet he c uld make some allow-
ance for the great disadvantage under which non-commis-
sioned officers and men laboured from the intense heat of the
day. Yesterday morning the Inspector General inspected a
wing of the division in the barrack-square, and saw the va-
rious officers of companies go through their company drill.
At 12 o'clock the whole of the officers were assembled on
the parade ground, where they went through the broad.
sword exercise. Tho remainder of the day was devoted by
Gen. Stransham to an inspection of the books and accounts,
together with an inspection of the offices, barrack-rooms,
the non-commissioned officers' and privates' library and
reading rooms, and the schoolrooms. At 3 o'clock the
detachment of 70 non-commissioned officers and men who
are now undot going a course of gun drill with the great
guns were marched to the gun shed battery, where Major
General Stransham spent same time in witnessing the
great gun exercise, under the direction of Captain Bligh,
the instructor to the division. The expeditious manner
in which the Arrastrongs, with the naval 68-pounders and
other guns, were cast loose, brought round, trained, and
fired, showed the proficiency attained by the Royal Marines
in this important portion of their duties. On Wednesday
evening Major-Gen. Stransham was entertained by Col.
Lemon, C. 8., and the officers of the division at a grand
banquet, which was given in the officers' mess-room.
In consequence of the urgent demand made by the officers
commanding the Royal Engineers in New Zealand for an
additional number of men to be sent out to augment the
6th company. now serving in that colony, an order has
been received by Major-General H. Eyre, commanding the
forces in the Chatham district directing h m to hold in
readiness two officers and 30 non-commissioned officers and
men of the Royal Engineers for immediate embarcation.
The men required have been selected from the depot and
other companies at headquarters, Brompton, the whole of
them having completed their course of fieldwork instruction
to qualify them for taking the field immediately on their
arrival at their destination. The names of the non-com-
missioned officers and men have been forwarded to the
Horso Guards for approval. and, as soon as the selection
has been confirmed, they will embark.
The screw steam corvette Encounter, 14, Capt. Roderick
Dew, C. 8., arrived in Plymouth Sound yesterday afternoon.
She loft Yokohama on Dec. 29 --Nagasaki on Jan, 12—
Shanghai on the 20th—Ningpo on the 26th—Amoy on the
29th—Hongkong on March B—Singapore on the 23d—the
Cape of Good Hope on May 14—St. Helena on June 4
Ascension on the Bthand Fayal, July 7. The Encounter
has been in commission nearly five years—her crow will
probably be paid off at Plymouth. She spoke on July 8, lat.
39 52 N., and long, 27 14 W., the American bark Louisa,
from Sunderland, and on the 17th, let. 45 16 N., long. 9 38
W.. the bark Ouse, outward bound.
The military invalid. who arrived at Spithead on Wed-
nesday in the hired transports Light Brigade and Copen-
hagen, from Auckland, New Zealand, and Calcutta. as
reported in The Sun of yesterday, were transferred from
those ships yesterday by a Government steamer to the
Royal Victoria slilitary Hospital at Netley, under the
supervision of Col. Shadwell, Assistant Quartermaster-
General. The two ships afterwards sailed for the Thames.
The time-expired soldiers on board the Copenhagen go
to the river, and will disembark at
The Admiralty steam tender Enchantress, 1, Staff Com-
der John E. Petley, arrived in Plymouth Sound yes-
rhaGravesend.
e ship