The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-04 00:00:00

CONFEDERATE ARTILLERY,

A M. Girand, having just returned from the Con-
federate States of America, has thrown his rcfiec‘
tions into the shape of a memorial, which he has
addressed to the Emperor Napoleon. The Army
and Narb Gazette publishes a summary 6) f this do-
cument, from which we make the following

extract:--
" We will now turn back to the text for a de-
scription of the Brooke gun, whose balls seem to
have gone through the Keokuk with the facility
and eccentricity of lightning through a country
parsonage. There is nothing extraordinary in
the aspect of these guns. An attentive observer
would not fail to remark the circular bands closely
united to the piece, and which are destined to
give a greater resisting force. With regard to
their rifling, it is on the system of inclined
planes instead of groves (elle est en plans inclings,
au lieu d eZre sillonee). The projectiles are of forged
iron. Those which I bad an opportunity of ex-
amining were adapted to 7-inch guns. Their form
is elongated, cylindrical nearly their entire length,
with the exception of the front part, which is
slightly conical and rounded off at its periphery.
Che two extremities are vertical. The hinder part,
which presents itself to the breech of the piece,
bears on its circumference a bell-mouthed groove,
and receives a capper ring, whose ends nearly meet
at the end of the projectile. The projectile has
bands of copper running round it, one about
four inches from the front, and the other
ciose to the hind part. These bands alone
are destined to take the rifling of the piece.
At a distance of 200 yards, and with a charge
of 201 b of powder, these, projectiles penetrate four
iron plates of two inches each, backed with 18
inches of oack, the whole fixed against a clayey
cliff. M. Giraud can testify to the precision of this
gun as well as its penetrating power, and it would
certainly seem that there must be some powerful
instrument keeping at bay he much-vaunted Federal
monitors. How otherwise account for their inac-
tivity ? How account for their being held in check
by dismantled forts? The Keokuk went within •
900 yards, and hheered-off merely to sink the next
morning. M. Giraud, after this naval ini:orma-
tion, shows what the Confederation has _dons
in the way of estahnseing arsenate, etc. To
supply the troops an immense bakery hes been
created in Richmond, which turno out daily 350
barrels of biscuits, which, with the exception
of the kneading are made by steam. Govonment
contractors buy the flour on the most favourable
conditicns, and without damaging the interest of
private bakers.
" The writer visited the naval encampment of
Drewry's Bluff, situated nine miles below Richmond,
upon the James River: It is this locality which
the Federals have decorated with the pompous
name of Fort Darling. There never was a fort at
this place; it is only an ordinary cliff rising about
80 feet above the level of the river, and which com-
mands a radius of between four and five miles.
When the Federal fleet, under the comaizcd
of Commodore Rogers, advanced, in May,
1862, upon Richmond, the cliff at Drew cy'ts
Biuff was in its natural state. It was
covered with thick forest vegetation. The Con-
federates had only just time to make a few
openings and lay three guns when the Federals
made their appearance. The river was defended.
by three guns and barred by means of a few ships.
The enemy was repulsed with great damage, and it
was probably owing to this circumstance that Fort
Darling was invented. It was necessary to find a
plausible pretext for defeat. After the engagement
several tons of projectiles were picked up. The
Confederates have now, however, made of Deewry's
Bluff a most formidable position, which is guarded
by a naval encampment. More than one batter',
plated with iron now defends. Richmond from
assault by the James River, and lying in
the stream is the plated steam frigate
Richmond, a kind of improved Merrimac, armed
with Brooke guns and manned with a crew of 150
sailors, who would no doubt prefer dropping past
Monioe into the Atlantic. When M, Giraud
hlere
eft
the Southern States a couple of months ago, t
was great activity in tt.e yards of the capital. Iwo
other vessels, on the model of the Richmond, were
being built—the Fredericksburg an the New Mer-
rimac; both sufficiently advanced to be able to take
part in a combat. The Patrick Henry is employed
as a naval school, and the plated gunboats Beaufort
and Hampton do duty between Richmond and the
river forts defending it. In all, six plated vessels
are ready in case of need to protect the capital."

THE WEATHER AND THE PARKS,

The intense frost which set in on Friday night con-
tinued on Saturday and yesterday, and, as a necessary COn.
sequence, induced thousands of persons to visit the various
Royal parks, with a view of venturing on the ice which
has already formed on the pieces of ornamental water. The
hopes of the too venturesome, however, were doomed to
disappointment, for in no one single place was the ice thick
enough to be bearable.
In the Regent's-park the extensive sheet of water round
the island is quite covered, as is also that adjoining the
boatbou,e. Should the frost continue for another two days
there is little doubt but that skating and sliding will be
permitted. Yesterday two young boys aged 10 and 14,
paid the denalty of their rashness by being soused up to
their necks for venturing on the ice near the side of the

paths.
The Serpentine, being the largest piece of water in any
of the parks, is not yet coveted, but will doubtless be e o
in
the course of a couple of days.
St. James's park was visited by a large number of per-
son ; but here also the precaution of not permitting any
one on the ice was fully carried out. Preparations have
been made to prevent skating on the deep water.
the ice is an inch,
In Bat,ersea-park, Victoria-park, ,
and in some places an inch and a half in thickness.
Preparations are being made by the officers and men of
the Royal Humane Society for the rescue of those who
may fall through the ice.

-----
MR. WOOLLEY has been paid the whole amount
of his claim for the fire at CAmpden House. Tr.e
sum thus received, with interest, is neArly £30,000. The
loss of his first collection of rare and curious objects has not,
however, quenched the desire of Mr. Woolley to form
He
another is still animated with a
desire to
surround him museum.
self with queer, quaint articles of vertu; and,
roundsnear Fulham,
with this end, has taken a house and
g
called Prior-Park, formerly in the occupation of Mr. E. T.
Smith, late of Drury Lane Theatre, but now of Cremorne
Gardens. _