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

Naval and Military Intelligence,

The iron screw steamship Black Prince, 41, Cap.
tamp C. B. Wainwright, second in command, and
five other ships belonging to the Channel squadron,
were hove to inside the Eddystone at half.past
four o'clock yesterday afternoon, under steam. At
six o'clock, one of them, supposed to be the iron-
cased.ship Royal Oak, 35, Capt. Frederick A.
Campbell, entered the Sound, and is now at anchor
inside the breakwater. Wind S.W., a smart
breeze, with thick rain, and heavy weather im-1
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 Majesty'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 com-
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
Pacific stations. She is now masted and rigged in
preparation for commission.
Her Majesty's steam gunvessel Landrail, paid off
at Woolwich from the North America and West
India station, Commander Thomas H. Martin, has
been supplied with new decks, has undergone
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-horse power, Capt. A. Mellersh, lately arrived
at Sheerness from the south-east coast of America,
has been dismantled, and returned stores, ammo.
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.
marsund, for the iron frigate Achilles, have been
landed at the Ordnance-wharf, and will not be
shipped on board the Achilles for some days, the
delay arising from the fracture of the chain at the
largest crane used in shipping the guns, and the
necessity for procuring another of a stronger de.
scriptioo.
The chartered troopship Roxburgh Castle, 1,121
tons, Capt. C. Dimsdale (Sub-Lieut. Royal Naval
Reserve), belonging to Messrs. Green and Co., which
has been chartered by the Government for the con•
veyance 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 85 gunners
of N 0.7 battery, 2d brig.:Royal Artillery, from Dover,
together with 13 women and 17 children, the whole
of whom proceed to Melbourne. Prior to the troops
embarking the Roxburgh Castle was inspected by
Major-General Sir Robert Walpole, K.C.8., com-
manding 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. The Roxburgh Castle
is fitted with one of Dr. Normandy's steam fresh-
water distilling apparatus, whica is capable of pro-
eucing 500 gallons of fresh water from the sea daily.
La addition to the troops, the vessel takes out about
60 first and second class passengers, together with
a large and valuable miscellaneous cargo. The
Roxburgh Castle was intended to leave the Thames
last evening, and at sunset had her blue peter
flying.

The Linnet, gunboat, 60 horse power, after hav-
ing been fitted with a condenser to her high-press
sure engine, was on Tuesday taken to the measured
mile off Maplin Sands, for trial. The vessel was
under the command of Capt. W. K. Hall, C. 8.,
and Mr. J. J. Greathead, chief engineer, and Mr.
S. Townshend, foreman of steam factory in her
Majesty'a dockyard at Sheerness, had charge of the
maeiinery. The trial was conducted with results
whicb are perfectly satisfactory, and are as fol..
lows :---True mean speed, 6.807 knots per hour;
revolutions, 142 per minute; pressure of steam,
451 b. ; vacuum, 27 ; load on safety valve, 60th,
The vessel gent reund the circle, with helm hard
over at s tarboard, and two men at the wheel, in lm.
60c.; the draught of water during the trial was,
forward, ift. 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
slight 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-
ceased admiral was second son of the late Lord
Wynford, formerly Chief Justice of the Court of
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, 18,55, and Vice Admiral Nov.
10, 1862. Admiral Best married in 183,5 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 head.
quarters, Chatham, 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 Brompton 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.
pesters, 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 Bake of Cambridge has directed that, in addi-
tion to their regimental pay of is 3-id 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 with the 4th division depot brigade.
On account of the stormy state of the weather, the
order was countermanded, and the following order
was yesterday issued in its 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 oft month,
including fortifications along the Thames, Warley,
and other places within the district.

The 2d company 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 embarcatioa.
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 :—Lietit. Francis S D. Brough
ton, to the Brisk ; Lient. Coryndon P. Boger, to the
Duke of Wellington ; Lient. George S. Brown, to
the Excellent ; Lieut. Herbert Hilton, to the
Canopus ; Lieut. Robert Ross, to the Lion ; Charles
E. Tremain, clerk, additional, to the Seringapa■
tam ; 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 Naval Reserve :--To be lieutenant, Mal-
colm Green; to be honorary lieutenants, Nathan
Wynard Haselwood and Theophilus Godolphin
Hinson.