The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-07 00:00:00

Na` 'al and Military Intelligence,

The iron screw steamship Black Prince, 41, Cap-
tain
C. B. fV•inwright, second in command, and
five other sh ips belonging to the Channel squadron,
were hove to inside the Eddystone at halfapast
four o'clock yesterday afternoon, under steam. At
six o'clock, o ne of them, supposed to be the iron-
cased ship R oyal Oak, 35, Capt. Frederick A.
Campbell, er itered the Sound, and is now at anchor
inside the ineakwater. Wind S.W., a smart
breeze, with thick rain, and heavy weather im-
pending.
The Defence, armour-clad, Capt. Phillimore, one
of the Channel fleet, was expected to anchor off
Clev edon yesterday evening, or by this morning's
tide, previous to visiting Bristol harbour.
Her Maj esty's, 13, steam corvette Niger, 1,072
tons and 400-horse power, paid off at Woolwich
by Captain Peter Cracroft, C. 8., on her return
from New Zealand, is again progressing for corn- I
mission. She has been partly built up anew in
No. 3 Dock at Woolwich, at a cost of upwards of
£lO,OOO. She was constructed in Woolwich dock-
yard in 1846, under the superintendence and. after
the designs of Mr. 0. Lang, the master Shipwright
of the yard, and was afterwards lengthened 16ft.
aft, and was many years on the Mediterranean and
l'acific stations. Sae is ROW masted and rigged in
preparation for commission.
Her Majesty's steam gunvessel Landrail, paid off
at Woolwich from the North America and West
India atation, Commander Thomas H. Martin, has
decks, has undergone
bawl supplied with new
general repairs in hull and machinery at Woolwich
and is advancing rapidly for the pennant.
The Forte, 39, screw steam frigate, 2,364 tons,
400-hoarse power, Capt. A. Mellersh, lately arrived
at Sheerness from the south-east coast of America,
has been dismantled, and returned stores, ammu-
nition, &c. She will be paid out of commission on
Thursday next.
The 100-pounder smooth-bore guns which arrived
at Chatham from the Royal gun factory in the
War Department transports Marlborough and 80.

marstind, for the iron frigate Achilles, have been

landed at the Ordnance-wharf, and will not be
A hipped on board the Achilles for some days, the
delay arising from the fracture of the chain at the
lei-gent crane used in shipping the guns, and the
neg. essity for procuring another of a stronger de•
seri ption.
The chartered troopship Roxburgh Castle, 1,121
tons, Capt. C. Dimsdale (Sub-Lieut. Royal Naval
Rese,rve), belonging to Messrs. Green and Co., which
has b 3en chartered by the Government for the con•
veyat ce of Royal Artillery to Australia, embarked
at Gravesend yesterday, Lieut.-Col. C. H. Smith,
Lieut. W. H. Graham, Lieut. A. L. C. Smithett,
Lieut. C. Boyd, Assist.-Staff-Surg. J. T. Milburn,
6 sergeants, 8 corporals, 2 buglers, and 86 gunners

of N 0.7 battery, 2d brig.:Royal Artillery, from Dover,
ogether with 13 women and 17 children, the whole
o. whom proceed to Melbourne. Prior to the troops
en tbarking the Roxburgh Castle was inspected by
Ms jor•General Sir Robert Walpole, K.C.8., com-
=aiding the Chatham district, in order to ascertain
that the whole of the arrangements for the health
and comfort of the non-commissioned officers and
men during the voyage were complete. The troops
embarked under the direction of Col. Jackson and
the officers connected with the Quartermaster's
staff at Chatham garrison. Tne Roxburgh Castle
i fitted with one of Dr. Normandy's steam fresh.

ater distilling apparatus, whin is capable of pro-
fit, cing 500 gallons of fresh water from the sea daily.
In addition to the troops, the vessel takes out about
50 frst and second class passengers, together with
a la,-ge and valuable miscellaneous cargo. The
itoxbx trgh Castle was intended to leave the Thames
last evening, and at sunset had her blue peter

flying.
Tha Linnet, gunboat, 60 horse power, after hay-

iog been. fitted with a condenser to her high-pres-
sure erer;ine, was on Taesday taken to the measured
mile off Maplin Sands, for trial. The vessel was

under tits command of Capt. W. K. Hall, C. 8.,
and Kr. J. J. Greathead, chief engineer, and Mr.
S. Town,shend, foreman of steam factory in her
Majesty's dockyard at Sheerness, had charge of the
machinery. The trial was conducted with results

3 7hich are perfectly satisfactory, and are as fol.

IC ?r3 :—True mean speed, 6.807 knots per hour;
revolutions, 142 per minute ; pressure of steam,
451 b. ; vacuum, 27 ; load on safety valve, 6016,
The vessel gent round the circle, with helm hard
over at starboard, and two men at the wheel, in lm.
60 ; the draught of water during the trial was,
for siiard, 7ft. 2.in ; aft, Bft. 2in. ; the time under
way and at full speed was four hours ; the force of
wind, 6 ; and the direction, N.W. The sea had a
slig, h t swell. The vessel was fully rigged and
ready for sea, having 34 tons of coal on board.

Vice-Admiral the Hon. Thomas Best died on
Sunday last at Hyde Park-square. The de-
ceatced admiral was second son of the late Lord

Wynford, formerly Chief Justice of the Court o.

Common Pleas, and was born August 12, 1799. He
entered the navy November 3, 1812, on board the
Ramillies, 74, and after assisting in capturing the
islands in Pasamaquoddy Bay, and bombarding the
town of Stonington, was employed on the Irish and
South American stations. He was advanced to the
rank of Lieut. March 6, 1822, and in that capacity
was employed off Newfoundland, in the Channel, in
the Mediterranean, and again in South America,
and obtained Commander's rank April 30,1827. He
commanded the Icarus, 10, on the Jamaica station,
from March, 1828, until December, 1829, and was
Second Capt. of the William and Mary yacht from
January 14, 1830, until advanced to Post rank July
22 following. He became Rear-Admiral on the re-
served list October 3, 1856, and Vice Admiral Nov.
10, 1862. Admiral Best married in 1835 Mary
Anne, the daughter of the second Baron Kenyon.
The decision has at length been adopted by the
Horse Guards, to employ the various drummer boys,
buglers, and other lads attached to the Royal Engi-
neer Establishment, Chatham, in some one or more
of the trades followed by the Royal Engineers, and
so training them up to become skilled workmen.
Accordingly an order has been received at heads
quarters, Cnatham, from the Horse Guards, direct-
ing the whole of the boys to be classified, and each
to be allowed to select the trade in which he is de-
sirous of being employed. In accordance with the
above instructions, the whole of the boys and lads
were paraded at Brampton barracks yesterday, and
each requested to state the trade he was desirous of
learning. As each boy announced his desire he was
at once sent off to the Engineer workshops, where
they will be instructed in the trades now prac-
tised at the Royal Engineer establishment, including
printing, engraving, photography, the trades of car-
penters, bricklayers, wheelwrights, smiths, masons,
and the other branches taught to the Royal Sappers
and Miners. As an incentive to the boys to obtain
a perfect knowledge of the trade they have selected
the Duke of Cambridge has directed that, in addi-
tion to their regimental pay of is 3id per day, each
lad shall receive 3d per day working pay.
A garrison order was issued at Woolwich on
Monday, announcing that Major-Gen. Warde, C. 8.,
Commandant, would commence his half-yearly in.
spection yesterday of the troops and barrack quar-
ters throughout the district within his command,
commencing wiai the 4th division depot brigade.
Ou account of the stormy state of the weather, the
order was countermanded, and the following order
was yesterday issued in ita place—" The 4th divi-
sion depot brigade and the 4th brigade Royal Ar-
tillery will assemble on Woolwich-common at 10
a.m. to-morrow morning in marching order, and
will go through the general's half-yearly inspec-
tion.', The whole of the inspection, according to ordi-
nary circumstances, will occupy upwards of a month,
including fortifications along the Themes, Warley,
and other places within the district.
The 2d nompeny of the Royal Engineers, which
proceeds to the Mauritius to relieve one of the com-
panies at that station whose period of colonial ser-
vice has expired, has received orders to leave Chat-
ham garrison on the 20th inst. for ernbarcation.
The reinforcement of Royal Engineers to augment
the 68th company in New Zealand, as well as those
ordered to join the 32d company in St. Helena,
will also embark on the 20th inst., the detachment
for the 6th company proceeding with the other
reinforcements in the troopship Light Brigade.
The following appointments were made yesterday

at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Francis S D. B rough,-
ton, to the Brisk ; Lieut. Coryndon P. Boger, to the
Duke of Wellington ; Lieut. George S. Brown, to
the Exccillent ; Lieut. Herbert Hilton, to the
Canopus ; Lieut. Robert Ross, to the Lion ; Charles
E. Tremain, clerk, additional, to the Seringapag
tarn ; E. Elliot, assist.-clerk, to the Seringapatam ;
and W. C. Reed, nominated to a naval cadetship.
The following appointments have been made in
the Royal Natal Reserve ;--To be lieutenant, Mal-
colm Green ; to be honorary lieutenants, Nathan
Wynard Haaelwood and Theophilus Godolphin
Hinson.