The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-18 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

A War-office order has been received at the Royal Engi-
neer establishment, Chatham, directing, on the recommen-
dation of the Ordnance Select Committee, the introduction
into the service of the improved wrought-iron gabion bands,
the invention of Sergeant-Major J. Jones, Royal Engi-
neers, Improved patterns of the gabion bands have been
sealed and deposited at the Horse Guards. They are made
of the best galvanised charcoal iron of No. 20 gauge, and
are each 6ft 6in long by 3tin wide, and capable of bearing
a strain of 300. b when suspended by the studs and slots,
and a tensile strain of 3,5001 b when suspended by the bridg-
ing•holes. Ten of the bands form a gabion, and weigh from
241 b to 2711 b. The bands may also be used as the " chains"
in the construction of flying military suspension bridges.
one of which has been erected and tested at Chatham,
where every variety of weight was passed over, including
troops, horses, field guns, and war material, without any
sign of weakness in the bridge, which had a span of some
130 ft, and was put together by a party of sappers and
miners in a very few hours.
A general order from the Horse Guards, signed by Lieu-
tenant-General Sir J. Yorke Scarlett, K.C,8., Adjt.-Gen,,
has been promulgated at Chatham Garrison, announcing
that the appointment of an additional instructor in military
history at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, having
been authorised by the Secretary of State for War, his
Royal Highness the Field Marshal Commanding-
in-Chief desires that commanding officers will for-
ward to the Horse Guards, not later than the 31st inst.,

the applications of such officers as feel themselves qualified
for the situation. Each application is to be accompanied by
a statement of the course of candidate's reading in military
history, and a detailed description of any one important
campaign, with a full explanation of the military topo-
graphy of the country, and its bearing on the operations.
In forwarding an application the commanding officer should
state his opinion of the fitness of the candidate for the ap-
pointment, as derived from personal knowledge of his char-
acter and qualification. The salary will be regulated by the
Royal warrant of the 24th of June. 1862, and will be £350
per annum, including regimental pay if the appointment be
held by a captain or subaltern of a cavalry or infantry regi-
ment, or 6a. a day in addition to regimental pay if held by
a captain or subaltern of the Royal Artillery or Royal
Engineers. Quarters are attached to the appointment.
Major-General H. K. Bloomfield, commanding the Cork
District, who has been on leave of absence left town on
Saturday to resume his military duties in Iceland,

The Egyptian steam frigate Brabimee has arrived
at Marseilles with 661 bales of cotton.
A sum of 1,500 fr. has, by order of the Emperor,
been handed over to the superior military authori•
ties, to be divided, according to custom, among the drum-
mers of the regiments of the garrison of Paris whe went to
the Tuileries on New Year's Day. Similar gifts have been
made to those of the Itnperill Guard, and to those of the
National Guard of the Seine.
The stockbrokers of Paris have forwarded a sum
of 24,000 fr. to the Prefect of the Seine, for the poor.
THE SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN PRETENDER. -- A
French translation of a work by Prince Frederick of Angus-
tenburg has just appeared in Paris. It is entituled, " Sou-
venirs d'un Voyage a la Cote de Coromandel et au, Ben-
gal®„

The balloon left at seven minutes after two, with nearly
a south wind, and passed ever the river Thames, but when
at the height of 400 feet the wind changed to a point with a
great deal of west in it, and we found ourselves passing
down the centre of the river. At 29, at the height of 550
feet, we fell into a strong S.W. current, and crossed Til-
bury Railway at 2 14. Hainault Forest was west at 2 21,
and our course was N.E., or nearly directly towards the
Blackwater river. Under these circumstances we did not
dare to rise as we intended. At 243 we saw a large town
east of us, which we thought was Chelmsford, and inferred
our course was nearly north. At 254 we saw Malden and
the Blackwater at an estimated distance of 15 to 20 miles
east. We were then about 7,500 ft high. The wind continu-
ing south nearly we determined to go above the clouds. At
3 8 we were 8,500 ft high, and the wind veered to S.S.W.
At 3 15 we were 9,500 ft high, and the wind changed to
S.S.E., and continued in this direction, we believed, to our
highest point, which was nearly 13,000 ft. Then the earth
was quite obscured, and we had nothing whatever to guide
us as to our rate of motion or of our locality ; and, as the sun
would set in little more than half an hour, we gave up the
hope of reaching five miles high, resolved to pass down-
wards through the clouds and ascertain our position. At 3 37
we were 10,500 ft high, in five minutes we descended to
8,500 ft, and beneath the clouds still 6,500 ft from the earth,
which looked barren, and as there was no place that any of
us knew we could not determine our locality at all. At four
o'clock we saw a forest of pines. We still descended slowly
to 1,250 ft by 47. We saw a village, and after passing this
the earth looked barren ; there were no villages and scarcely
any habitations. The mist was so thick we could not see
two miles ahead, and we came to the ground at 4 15 near
Brandon.