The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-25 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

It is in contemplation by the military authorities
at Aldershott to devote the building known as
"the Clubhouse" to the holding of assemblies and
fashionable reunions during the winter months.
The new pack•saddle invented by Lieutenant
-..M‘Mahon, Ist battalion Military Train, and de-
soribed in 771 e Sun last week, was examined at Al-
dershott on Friday by Col. the Hon. H. H. Clifford,
V.C., Assist.-Quartermaster-Gen., on the South
Camp,:in the presence of several officers, when the
principle of the invention was highly approved.
The saddle, after a close examination by Colonel
Clifford, was placed on one of the largest horses
belonging to the Military Train, and it was demon•
strated by Lieut. M‘Mahon that by means of four
pairs of inverted screws it could be contracted so as
to fit the smallest pony. It was then handed over
Lieut. and Adjutant Devine, 2d battalion Military
Train, for trial, and the report of Colonel Robert-
son, C.B.

New colours for the 31st Regiment have arrived
at Aldershott, and will shortly be presented. The
regiment has seen much service in India, the
Crimea, and in China. In 1860 it left India for
China over 1,100 strong, and received during its
.stay in that country a draught of 102 men. It em.
barked from the latter place for England 0n1y.642
strong, having experienced a total loss of 588 of
all ranks, or nearly one-half its strength, in the
space of three years and a half. It is not yet de-
cided who will perform the pleasing ceremony of
presenting the colours to the regiment, but it is
thought probable that the wife of Major. Gen. Sir
F. Lugard, C. 8., will accept the office, the gallant
major-general being the colonel of this distinguished
corps. Tho colours at present borne by the regia
ment were presented at Dublin in May, 1848, by
the then Major. Gen. Prince George of Cambridge.
On Thursday afternoon the Cavalry Brigade at
Aldershott, consisting of the 14th Hussars and the
Ist and 2 i Royal Dragoons, was paraded in front
of the officers quarters' for the purpose of witnessing
the presentation of a silver medal and a gratuity of
£l5 to Quartermaster-Serg. Henry Joshua Smith,
of the 14th Hussars, for long service and good con-
duct. The presentation was made by Col. Darby
Gaeiffiths, 2d Royal Dragoons, who paid the highest
compliments to the quartermaster-serg. and to the
general appearance and bearing of the troops. After
the ceremony the troops returned to quarters with
bands playing.
The monthly inspection of hospital buildings and
stores at Aldershott by the Principal Purveyor, Mr
H. Powell, took place throughout the past week, as
follows, commencing each day at 10 a.m.:—On
Monday, the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, 2d
and sth battalions Military Train, and Hospital for
soldiers' wives, Ric,; on Tuesday, the let battalion
14th, 31st, 62d, and 85th Regiments ; on Wednes.
day, the Ist Royal and 2d Dragoons, 14th Has.
sars, 2d battalion 60th Rifles, and 62d Regiment;
and en the same day, in the North Camp, the 39th,
75th, and 833 Regiments; A medical officer at.
tendeded on behalf of each corps.
The monthly inspection of barracks at Aldershott
has taken place during the past week as follows :
On Monday, the Commissariat Staff Corps, the 2d
and sth battalions Military Train, the 75th and 39th
Regiments; on Tuesday, the Royal Artillery in the
permanent barracks, the Ist battalion 14th Regi•
ment, the Royal Engineers, the 59th and 83d Regis
ments ; on Wednesday the 62d Regiment and 2d
battalion 60th Rifles ; on Thursday, the Ist Royal
Dragoons and the 14th Hussars ; on Friday the 2d
Dragoons. The inspection commenced each day at
10 a.m., and in the Cavalry, Royal Artillery, and
Military Train the whole of the stable utensils were
laid out far inspection.
Lieut.-Gen. Sir John Pennefather, K.C.8., coma
manding the division at Aldershott, has consented
to preside at the sixth inaugural meeting of the Al-
dershott Institution for Mental improvement and
Social Recreation,to be held on,Wednesday evening.
In reference to the examination in July, 1865, of
candidates for admission to the Staff College at
Sandhurst, a general order from the Horse Guards
announces that the examinations will comprise the
following portions of nailitsry history and geo-
graphy :—Military History—The campaigns of the
British army in the Peninsula in the years 1808,
1809-10, with a general outline of the operations of
the Spanish armies so far as they were calculated
to influence those of the British. Military Geo-
graphy—The geography of Spain and Portugal
considered with reference to milit .ry operations.
The following works may be read with advan-
tage, not to the exclusion, however, of others,
whether English or French, which may throw
light on the campaigns to be studied—Napier's
Peninsular War, Brailenont's Life of Wellington,
Garwood's Despatches of the Duke of Wellington,
(selection) Macdougali's Theory of War, and La-
vollee's Military Geography. Candidates, on ap-
plication to the Council of Military Education, will
receive a copy of the synopsis of the studies pur-
sued at the Starr Cullegc, vyhi, h way oorvc GM a
useful guide to them in preparing themselves for
the examination.

Yesterday 100 non-commissioned officers and men
of the Chatham division of Royal Marines Light
Infantry, under the command of Capt. E.A. Wylde,
left head•quarters for the Government rifle range
at Milton, where they will undergo a course of
ball practice previous to embarcation. A detach,.
ment of 50 men of all ranks joined the division at
Chatham yesterday from Deal, to be attached to
the service companies.
The screw gun vessel Torch, 5, having been masted
in the stream, is now in the hands of the riggers in
No. 4 dock, at Chatham, where she is being fitted
aloft and inboard, for commission. She is to be fitted
with new boilers, her present boilers having been
found so defective that they are now being taken to
pieces. During the time she has been in the ship.
wrights' hands the Torch has undergone a thorough
repair, upwards of one-half of her timbers, together
with the greater portion of her planking, having
been taken out and new substituted. She is intended
to be commissioned for service on the coast of Africa.

The screw corvette Scout, 21, 400-horse power,
fitting for the first division of the Chatham Steam
Reserve, in place of the Ciio, 2Z, 400-horse power,
has been fitted with a poop in addition to a new
topgallant forecastle. She will shortly be out of
the hands of the dockyard officials.
The large Warrior target recently experimented
upon at Shoeburyness has been conveyed to Sheer•
ness dockyard in the Dove naval transport, and is
being taken to pieces in the north camber by a party
of shipwrights. The remains of the Lord Warden
and the Scott• Russell iron target have been landed
at Chatham dockyard from Shoeburyness. They
are so much battered that they are only fit to be
broken up for the general service of the dockyard.
The Ringdove, 4, screw gun vessel, Commander
Ralph A. 0. Brown, arrived at Spithead yesterday
from China, after a rather long passage, having
experienced several heavy gales of wind. She sailed
from Hongkong on the 12th of May. She is ordered
to be officially inspected at Spithead to-day, and
will afterwards go into Portsmouth harbour to dis-
mantle and pay out of commission, which dates back
to October, 1859.

The. Imperial Russian corvette Rhinda, screw, 11
guns, sailed from the Motherbank, off Ryde, Isle of
Wight, yesterday morning for Cronstadt.
The military invalids and time-expired soldiers
on board the sailing transport New Era, the arrival
of which vessel at Spithead from Madras was an-
nounced in The Sun of yesterday, were disem-
barked by Government steamer yesterday, the in-
valids being sent on to the Royal Victoria Military
Hospital at Netley, and the time-expired men to
the depots of their respective regiments. Capt. Hark-
ness, of the 25th N. 1., arrived in military chug°
1.(01" India, and D Fitzgerald, of the lit Dragoon
Guards, in medical charge. As soon as the disem.
barcation had been effected the New Era sailed
front Spithesd for the Thames.
The Sharpßhooter,4-gun screw sloop, iron, Lieut.-
fitted out at Portsmouth for
Commander Clavcring,
service on the Brazil station, steamed out of the har-
bour yesterday for a trial of her rnaehinary, and
afterwards returned to the harbour to carry out
some trifling alteration found to be required. She
is expected to sail finally from Portsmouth this
morning for a probable 10 days' cruse in the Chan.