The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-01 00:00:00

A most interesting course of fold exercises took place on
Thursday at Woolwich, in command of Mejor-Gen. Wardo
C. 8., commandant. The defensive party consisted of the
battalion of the sth Fusiliers, three batteries of Royal
Artillery, and one 40- pounder battery, in command of Col.
Master, C.B, The attacking force assembled on Bostol-hiil,
at the back of Plumstead•common. The advanced guard
threw out a line of skirmishers over the brow of a deep
ravine on the common, having videttes in advance. The
attacking force consisted of the Royal Marines, two bat-
teries of Horse Artillery, and one battery of the Depot
Brigade. commanded by Col. Master, whose first move-
ment was to throw out skirmishers and a reconnoitring
party. The attacking party was speedily driven back. The
main force, in the meantime having been kept up on Boe tol-
hill, attacked the right flank of the attacking party and
threw them back. The whole of the guns were then brought
forward, and kept up a steady and well- directed cannonade.
The infantry, advancing through the intervals of the guns,
maintained a roaring fire, and eventually the position of the
defensive party was stormed. The infantry then marched
down the high road to Woolwich Common, and formed a
line of contiguous columns, the infantry and Artillery after-
wards passing the General in review order, the former in
grand divisions. Afterwards the Brigadiers were called
forward by the General, who expressed himself in terms of
the highest commendation.
The 85th Light Infantry, under the command of Col. J.
W. Grey, arrived at Aldershot on Thursday morning from
the camp at Shorncliffe, The regiment, in wings, left
Folkestone at 8 o'clock a.m. in two special trains, arriving
at the North Camp station at 12 30 precisely.
Col. Hopkins, C. 8., A.D.C., the newly appointed com-
mandant of the Woolwich division of Ro3 al Marines, hav-
ing inspected the barrack departments yesterday, com-
manded the field officers' drills on Woolwich-common, and
put the battalion through a course of exercises, it being his
first outdoor inspection since his arrival.
Tho iron screw steam troop ship Himalaya, 6, Capt. E.
Lacey, which left Portsmouth at 5 p.m. on Wednesday
evening, arrived in Plymouth Sound at 6,30 a.m. on Thurs-
day morning. At 10 o'clock she went alongside the Master-
Attendant's jetty in Devonport dockyard, where she disem-
barked the 6th Regiment, from Aldershot, She then em •
barked the baggage of the 31st Regiment, who were ap-
pointed to leave the Raglan Barracks at noon yesterday for
conveyance to Portsmouth, en route for Aldershot.
The screw steam corvette Wolverine, 21,Capt. De Horsey,
which arrived at Plymouth on Wednesday morning, will
probably leave to. day for her destination, the West Indies,
The engines and machinery of the screw steam gun vessel
Espoir, 5, were tried outside the breakwater at Plymouth
on Thursday. She is now in the basin at Devonport,where
she will be completed for the first division of the Steam
Reserve.

The screw steam troopship Orontes, 2, Capt. %V. Henry
Hire, from the eastward, arrived in Plymouth Sound on
Wednesday evening, en 9 outc for Ceylon, conveying a mail
to St Helena. and calling at the Cape of Good Hope. She
takes a battery of artillery and naval supernumeraries.
The naval transport Dove arrived at Chatham dockyard
yesterday, from Shoeburynees, with the wreck of the target
constructed by the dockyard mechanics some time since on
the principle suggested by Mr Scott Russell. The target is of
iron, and the fragments which are now on board the trans-
port weigh rather more than 50 tons. Another target is now
under construction at Shoeburyness by the dockyard me-
chanics, and will be completed in about 10 days or a fort-
night, in readiness for testing her under the direction of the
Ordnance Select Committee. This target, which is known
as the box target, is constructed on an entirely new princi-
ple which, it is contended, offers greater resistance to both
shot and shell than any hitherto experimented upon at
Shoeburyness.
The ironclad frigate Achilles, 20, 1,250 horse power, Capt
E. W. Yansittart, is now ordered to be ready to take her
departure from Chatham harbour on the 14th inst., and to
proceed to Portsmouth, where she will receive her final orders
as to her ultimate movements. In anticipation of her de-
parture by the period stated, all is bustle and activity on
board, the dockyard officials exerting themselves to the
utmost to have the frigate completed before she leaves the
Medway. In accordance with Admiralty orders, she has
commenced to take on board her stock of coals, but the
supply at present at Chatham and Sheerness is altogether
insufficient. Oa Thursday she had stripped 300 tons,
which exhausted the entire supply from the coal ships in
the river. About 150 tons were despatched on board from
the dockyard yesterday, but about double that quantity will
still be required to complete the necessary quantity. The
Achilles is now completely rigged, and most of the work
being completed on board, with the exception of the nume-
rous fitments still required to be executed, the frigate pre-
sents an imposing appearance. Yesterday about 100 seamen
arrived and joined the Achilles from the Formidable, SI,
flagship ef Vice-Admiral Sir C. Talbot, K,C.8., Coalman-
der in Chief at the N ore.
The Cadmus, 21, 400 horse power, having completed a
very extensive repair at Chatham dockyard, extending over
several months, will be undocked on Monday, and will take
her place in the first class steam reserve, for which she is
fully equipped.
The operation of fixing the stern, or projecting prow of
the ironclad frigate Bellerophon, building at Chatham, was
completed yesterday, under the superintendence of the dock-
yard officials. The stem, which is formed of three separate
pieces, was forged in the dockyard, and is the largest work
of the kind ever attempted at either of the public yards. On
leaving the smiths' hands it weighed nearly 30 tons, but the
cutting, planing, and other processes to which it was subsee
quently subjected reduced its weight about one half. The
prow projects about 10ft from the stem of the frigate, and
will thus enable the Bellerophon to do terrible execution
against a hostile ship when used as a ram, for which her
enormous strength and high rate of velocity will eminently
qualify her. The outer and inner stern-posts are being
forged at one of the private dockyards, and will arrive at
Chatham in the course of a few weeks. The Bellerophon
will be fitted with four masts, and according to existing ar-
rangements, three of these will be square-rigged, and the
other fore and aft rigged.
A number of joiners, labourers, and some other workmen
employed at Chatham dockyard will receive their discharge
from that establishment to-day, in consequence of an order
from the Admiralty for a reduction to be made in the num-
ber of the hands.
Her Majesty's screw steam gunvessel Serpent, 4, 695 tons,
200 horse power, Master in Charge Benjamin Jackson, was
taken for trial of her engines at the measured mile off Maplin
Sands yesterday, in charge of Commander Arthur Barrow,
of her Majesty's ship Cumberland, gnardship of Sheerness
steam reserve. Messrs Wm. Eumball, inspector of machi •
nery afloat, and George Blaxland, chief engineer of Sheer-
ness dockyard, were in charge of the machinery. The vessel
made six runs at full speed on the measured miles with the
following results : Average speed, 9.724 knots per hour
m
—revolutions of engines, maximum, 77 mean, 76/
pressure of steam, 20--vacuum, 24. Two runs were
made at half-bailer power, with an average speed of 8.555
knots per hour—the revolutions of engines being, maximum
68—mean, 67—vacuum, 341—pressure of steam, 161 b. The
vessel was tested on the circle at full and half speed ; at
full speed, with helm 29} degrees to starboard, the time
of turning the circle was 4 minutes 47 seconds—the dia-
meter of the circle being 477 yards. At half speed, with
helm to starboard 29 degrees, the time was 5 minutes
12 seconds—the diameter of the circle being 449 yards.
Tho vessel is fitted with Griffith's propeller, diameter 11
feet, pitch 17 feet, variable from 14 to 20 feet, and the
draught a water during the trial, which lasted six hours,
was, forward and aft, 24 feet. The Serpent is fully equipped
with all her sea stores and armament on board, and is ready
for sea. The trial was considered satisfactory, and it is ex-
pected she will be shortly commissioned.
Commodore Hugh Dunlop, C. 8., Superintendent of
Woolwich dockyard, yesterday returned from leave of ab-
sence, and will hoist his flag this morning and resume his
duties,
Her Majesty's paddle-sloop Basilisk was yesterday hauled
out of basin at Woolwich, and was towed down to Sheerness
in charge of the Bustler and Monkey, to be completed for

sea.
The iron steam-storeship Industry was yesterday un-
docked at Weolwich, and the paddle-sloop Spiteful was
docked in her place.
The following naval cadets of the Ist and 2d class having
completed their course of instruction on board her Ma-
jesty's naval cadet training-ship Britannia, Capt. R. A.
Powell, C. 8., at Dal tmouth, were found qualified at their
examinations on Wednesday last for seagoing ships, and
received their certificates. First-class certificates, with 12
months' seatime and toting of midshipman, or master's-
assistant--Mr A. G. Douglas (master's-assistant), Admi-
ralty prize for seamanship and prize for good conduct; A.
A. Parr, Admiralty prize for study, second prize for French,
prize for use of instruments, and prize for good conduct ;
A. Nicholson, prize for study and good conduct ; J. G.
Field, prize tar seamanship and good conduct; P, H.
Wright, (master's-assistant), prize for good conduct ; W. H.
May, price for good conduct ; C. E. Huggins; W. C. Dom-
vine, Admiralty prize for French and prize for good conduct;
J. E. Nicolls, prize for study and prize for good conduct ;
C. Slierard, prize for good conduct; E. A. Ommaney, prize
for good conduct; and A. Howard. Second-class Certifi-
cates, with six months' seatime—S. B. Roupell, E. 11. Bay-
ley, E. Kinder, prize for drawing and prize for good con-
, duct; F. E. Chesney, G, Neville, H. It. Adims, E, B.
Vankonghurt, E. Warburton, W. C. Alexander, R. S.
Rotleston, E. J, Murdoch, C. W. Sleet:inn, C, M. Forster,