The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-19 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence,

The Lords of the Admiralty at Portsmouth yesterday com-
menced their day's duties with the inspection of the Royal
Marine Artillery at Port Cumberland, the headquarters of
this famous corps. The Duke of Somerset, K.G., with Vice
Admiral Sir Frederick Grey, Rear-Admiral Hon, J. R.
Drummond, and Mr Childers, M.P., accompanied by Capt.
It. Hall, private secretary to the Duke of Somerset, Major
Clarke, R.E., Admiralty Director of Engineering Works,
and other officials, left the Dockyard soon after 10 a.m. in
four carriages for the Fort. They arrived there at 11 a.m.,
end were received at the outer practice ground by Major..
Gen, Stransham, Adjt.- Gen. of the Royal Marine Forces ;
Col. Schomberg, Col.-Commandant of the Royal Marine
Artillery, with his Staff-officers, and a guard of honour,
which rendered the usual salute. Their lordships were con-
ducted to the ship broadside gun and the light mortar
batteries, where practice was meth) from the 8-inch ship guns
with shot, and from the mortars with dead shell at 600 yards
ranges. This having been brought to a conclusion, a field
battery of six Armstrong breach-loading guns, and a rocket
battery, consisting of three 6lb and one 121 b rocket tubes,
were manned, and their fire directed against pole targets
anchored out at various distances seaward. The practice from
the light Armstrongs and the rocket tubes was succeeded
by firing shell at long range from the heavy guns mounted
on the N.E. angle of the fortress, and with shot from
the pivot gun battery at 900 yards range. This brought
The firing to a conclusion. The practice throughout was
admirable. The fosse of the fortress was next visited
by their lordships, and here the same men were to be
seen hauling tackles and guys, swinging enormous
ordnance in the air in process of mounting and dis-
mounting, and transporting other ordnance from one
part of the fosse or glacis to another. Their lordships'
visit being much limited in time, they were soon on their
way to the western glacis of the fort. There the men were
drawn up under arms in line ; they then broke into open
columns of companies right in front, and their Lordships
having taken up a position at the saluting-point, marched
past in quick time. This ceremony over, the men were
wheeled into line on the original alignment, and advanced
in review order. Another general salute brought the in-
spection to a close. It was the first time the Lords of the
Admiralty had seen the men in their new uniforms in
movement under arms, and they appeared to be much
impressed with their general appearance and bearing.
From Fort Cumberland their Lordships drove to the new
mid extensive barracks now erecting for the Royal Marine
Artillery at Eastney, a short distance from Fort Cumber-
land, and spent some time there examining the different
ranges of buildings, including the married men's quarters,
the schools, &c., &c. From the barracks their Lordships
drove back to Portsmouth, and went on board the Osborne
to luncheon. After luncheon they disembarked at the
King's Stairs of the dockyard, and, accompanied by Admi-
rals Sir M. Seymour and G. Elliot, with Mr A. Murray,
chief engineer of the yard, and Mr Cradock, master ship-
wright, went on board the screw three-decker Victoria,
which has been for some months fitting as the future flag-
ship for the Mediterranean. Nearly an hour was spent on
board this vessel, and from what was allowed to transpire
there can be little doubt but that the Admiralty will
eventually decide upon supplanting this vessel in her in-
tended duties with one of our largest iron frigates, The
Duke of Somerset afterwards, accompanied by his colleagues,
went on board the Tamar iron screw troopship, Capt.F. Stir.
ling. Admirals Sir F. Grey and Drummond remained on
board fora considerable time examining the general arrange-
ments and fittings of the ship, but the Duke after being on
board a short time, left the ship accompanied by Capt. Hall
and Mr Romaine, and proceeded on board the Wolverine,
21, screw corvette, Capt. De Horsey, lying alongside the
transport jetty. This concluded the round of inspection
visits for the day. In the evening the Duke of Somer-
set, with the other Lords at Portsmouth, and a large
party of naval and military officers, were entertained at din-
ner at the Admiralty House. Their Lordships afterwards
attended the ball given at the King's Rooms, Southsea, in
aid of the funds of the Seamen's and Marines' Orphan
Schools.

This morning the Duke of Samerset held a levee at the
Royal Naval College in the dockyard.
Earl de Grey and Ripon, on landing with the Lords of
the Admiralty yesterday morning from the Osbarne, pro•
seeded, accompanied by Col. Jarvis, R.E., to the Gun-
wharf, where his lordship was met by Major-Gen. Lord W
Paulet, C. 8,, accompanied by Colonel Shadwell, Assistant
Quartermaster-General, Capt. Paulet, A.D.C., Mr Row-
land, ordnance storekeeper, and Capt. Hall, barrackmaster
for the south-western district. His lordship was occupied
during the day in inspecting the various ordnance stores,
and afterwards partook of lurchcon at. Col, Shadwell's resi-
dence. Rear-Admiral Robinson and Mr Childers, M.P.,
left Portsmouth for London yesterday afternoon.
The Channel fleet, consisting of the Edgar, screw line of
battle ships, 71, Capt, Geoffry Herlihy, cam ing the flag of
the admiral commanding, Rear-Admiral S. C. Dacres, C. 8.;
the Warrior, screw iron frigate, 40, Captain Hon. A. A.
Cochrane, C.B. ; Black Prince, iron frigate, screw, 41,
Capt. J. B. Wainwright ; Hector, iron frigate, screw, 54,
Capt. George W. Preedy, C.B. ; the Defence, iron frigate,
sotew, 16, Capt. A. Phillimore ; the Prince Consort, iron-
cased frigate, 35, Captain George 0. Willes, C. 8.; and
the Enterprise, iron-cased sloop, screw, 4, anchored at
Spithead yesterday morning on their return from their
cruise westward. The presence of the ships at Spithead
enabled the officers serving is them and their friends
to be present at the ball given last night at the King's

Arsenal, having embarked war stores for Hobart Town ;
The freight ship Percy yesterday sailed from Woolwich
and the Avon left Woolwich at the same time, laden with
Volunteers' pontoon equipment for Dowlais, South Wales.
The following garrison order was yesterday issued at
Woolwich, by order from the Horse Guards, for the infor-
mation of detachments and the numerous corps of Volun-
teers who are in the habit of using the Woolwich range :
" All practice in the Marshes will, until further orders,
be suspended, in conformity with instructions received from
the Field Marshal Commanding-in Chief of the Army."
Yesterday the large portable shears for lifting the massive
iron stem for the iron-clad frigate Bellerophon, in progress
at Chatham Dockyard, were successfully fixed in their place
at the head of No. 2 cock, and the work of raising and fixing
the stem will be undertaken next week. The portion of the
iron frigate forming the stem has been forged in three sepa-
rate pieces in the dockyard smithery, and is the largest un-
dertaking of the kind ever attempted by that department.
The entire weight before its removal to the factory to be
Planed and cut to shape was nearly 30 tons, but its lots dur-
ing the operations to which it has been subjected at the
hands of the mechanics will reduce its weight by about 10
tons. The Bellerophon's stem will stretch a considerable
distance forward below the water-line, and will consequently
differ very materially from either the Achilles or the Warrior
—the bows of neither of which have a very formidable pro-
jection. In the Bellerophon, however, beauty of form has
been entirely sacrificed to utility. The curve of the stem is
as nearly as possible in the shape of the letter S, the pro-
jecting portion of which will be hidden below the water
line, and will be thrust forward some 10 feet. As it is
intended to arm this portion of the vessel with a cleaver-
any ship with which a
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might
be brought in contact
would appear a matter of certainty. Within the last few
days the naval representative of the French Government
has paid a visit to Chatham Dockyard, for the express
purpose of inspecting the Lord Warden and the Belle-
rophon iron-clad frigates. It was the latter vessel, how-
ever, to whioh attention was chiefly directed, and in a
very minute inspection, on which a considerable time was
spent,
the officials connected with the dockyard affording
every information in their power without the least possible
reserve, the opinion was candidly professed that the Belle-
rophon surpasses all other iron vessels of war hitherto con-
structed, and that there is no vessel In the French navy
which can be compared with her. The engines for the iron
frigate are now in course of manufacture by Messrs John
Penn and Son, who constructed those for the Achilles and
the other large iron vessels of war. They are intended to
be very powerful, and although of nominally 1,000 horse
power will weigh, with boilers filled, nearly 1,000 tons.
They are designed with surface condensers, super-heaters,
and to work the steam expansively, with other improve-
ments. by which it is anticipated that they will work up to
even greater indicated horse power than the engines of the
Warrior. The Bellerophon is constructed to carry about
800 tons of coal, bat in consequence of the numerous im-
provements to be effected in her engines it is confidently
anticipated that the consumption of fuel will be compara-
tively small, and the quantity of coal on board sufficient to
propel the ship at a high rate of speed for a much greater
distance than any other ironclad in the navy could steam,
without replenishic g her cial.

A general order from the Horse Guards has been received
at Chatham garrison, in which it is announced that as the
Field Marshal Commanding-in-Chief has decided that it is
not necessary for acting assist.-surgeons to wear uniform,
general officers commanding districts and divisions, and
officers commanding depot battalions, are desired to recog-
nise them in the performance of their duties, without being
in uniform.

It was yesterday announced at Chatham, by Admiralty
order, that the iron frigate Minotaur, 26, 6,621 tons, 1,350
horse power, now being fitted for sea in the Victoria Dock,
is Wended to be fitted as a flag-ship, but her intended des•.
tination is not stated. -Under this arrangement all the
officers will live on the maindeck in time of peace, the
cabins which have been fitted for the officers on the lower
deck being reserved in the event of war. A suite of cabins
and offices for the Admiral will be fitted beneath the poop.
An Admiralty order has been received at Chatham ap-
pointing Messrs Barnaby, Crossland, and Barnes assistant
constructors of the navy under the direction of Mr Reed,
chief constructor.