The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-12 00:00:00

mission.

On Wednesday and Thursday a series of very
interesting experiments was carried on at Sheerness
by order of the Admiralty to test the value of a
steering screw propeller applied to the Charger
gunboat, the invention of Mr. Curtis, C.E., of Hol-
loway, and 142, Fenchurch-street, London. The
peculiarity of this screw is that a ring forming an
universal, or ball and socket joint, is placed within
the hollow boss of the screw, which is thereby con-
nected with the main shaft, the centre of gravity of
the screw and the centre line of the rudder inter-
secting the centre line of the main shaft, so that
the entire weight of the screw is borne by the
shaft, and by means :of the tail or spindle of the
screw projecting from the boss working in the
rudder, whatever may be the movement of the
rudder, it communicates an equal movement to the
screw, which therefore becomes not only the pro-
pelling but also the guiding power of the ship. Fur-
thermore, by this invention the retarding action of
the rudder and likewise the vibration are removed,
while the speed of the vessel is increased. The
Charger gunboat, having been handed over to Mr.
Curtis for the purpose of making experiments, was
on Wednesday taken for trial at the measured mile
off Maplin Sands, the result being that the mean of
the runs to and fro was 8698 knots an hour, as
contrasted with 7.751 knots obtained at Portsmouth
previous to the vessel being placed in Mr. Curtis's
hands; showing a gain of -531, or about half a mile,
in favour of the steering screw, while the indicated
horse power showed 113.30, against 145.25 obtained
at Portsmouth. It was felt by those who witnessed
the experiments that had the engines been in a more
efficient working state the gain would have been
still more considerable. On Thursday a competi-

tive trial of speed took place between the Charger
and the Spanker, twin boats, having been built
upon the same model and lines by the same builders,
and each containing engines of 60 horse power.
The distance run was from a buoy off the Formid-
able, flag ship of Vice-Admiral Sir G. R. Lambert,
K.C.8., commander-in-chief at Sheerness, round the
Nore Light and back, a total distance of about eight
miles. In this distance the Charger beat the
Spanker by 17 minutes, being 25 per cent. gain, or
equivalent to about a mile and a half per hour, the
whole run being made by the Charger in one hour
and one minute. This gain is evidently obtained
by avoiding the retarding effect of the rudder, as it
was found that to keep the vessel in her course the
helm never varied more than from 3 to 5 deg. The
full circle was made in 2 minutes 40 seconds, helm
starboard 40 degrees, the diameter of the circle
being 120 ft., measured by a line paid out
from the stern of the ship. The circle to port
helm 40 degrees, was made in 2 minutes 30 seconds,
diameter the same, the length of the vessel being
115 ft. By working the screw astern and putting
the helm over 40 degrees, the vessel can be turned
in about half the time above stated, and in a radius
of only one-third its length, measuring from the
screw itself. The screw can be applied in the dead
wood of the ship, and lifted as in the ordinary way,
so that the vessel may be governed either by the
rudder or screw, or by both, at the option of the
commander ; also, if found necessary or desirable,
the rudder may control the movement of the vessel
by the momentum after the engines are stopped ;
but all that has been sought or could be expected
by a first trial is the establishment of the principle li
of the invention, which is considered to be proved
beyond all question. Its value to large ships must be
apparent, whether for war or commercial purposes.
Her Majesty's screw steam frigate Arethusa, 39
guns, 3,141 tons, 500-horse power, having under-
gone several important alterations in her machinery
to enable her to work either as a surface or common
condenser, or the two conjointly, was taken out of
Sheerness Dockyard on an experimental trip for
five hours yesterday. During the trip the average
revolutions of engines were 68 per minute; vacuum,
28Ib ; and pressure of steam, 251 b. The trial was
of a most satisfactory character, the result exceed-
ing the most sanguine expectations. The vessel was
in charge, of Capt. W. K. Hall, C. 8., commanding
the Sheerness Steam Reserve; and Vice• Admiral
Sir G. It. Lambert, K.C.8., Commander-in-Chief
at the Nore, was on board to witness the trial. The
contractors, Messrs. T. Penn and Son, were repre-
sented by Mr. Mathews. Mr. Rumble, inspector
of machinery afloat, and Mr. Blaxland, chief engi-
neer of Sheerness Dockyard, attended on the part
of the Government.

The Wrangler, 4, screw steam gun vessel, 477
tons, 80 horse power, Cona.!Henry H. Baamish, ar-
rived at Sheerness from the West Coast of Africa,
last from lli;vonport, on Thursday evening. 00 the
following day she was inspected by Capt. J. .I?th-,
ford, of her Majesty's ship Formidable, ilagsluP of
Vice-Admiral Sir G. It, Lambert, C. 13? who Con-
gratulated her commander on the effectivo state of
been in COMMIEEIOII
ness
the vessel and crew. She will ho raja out of "m-
-mission in about, ten days and piocedin the Sher-
,
Steam Reserve, having
since May, 18G0.
Only some six of the armour plates remain to be
affixed to the stem of the iron frigate Achilles, in
Chatham Dockyard, to complete the plating of that
vessi,l, with the exception of the stern, Which, from
the difficulty of fixing the plates to that part, will
delay the finishing. of this frigate
about a
month beyond the time originally fixed. It is
not now probable that she will be ready for
floating out of dock before the early part of the
month of December. The three-quarter and inch
plating, which will form the sides of the vessel from

the
wloewre:edfeecokmupplewtianrgdtsholobrue
ikahnedadasf
is
nof o thenow
pushed
us
shhoet d-
proof bulkheads, is nearly all fixed in its place, and
forward with all possible energy. The dates used
in encasing the bows and stern of the Achilles are
those manufactured by the firm of Messrs. Brown
and Co., of Sheffield, and, owing to the extreme
care and nicety with which each plate has to be
fitted, this part of the work proceeds but slowly.
Each of them tapers gradually from 4 to 3 inches.
There will be fully six months' additional work to
be performed on board the Achilles, in the way of
completing and fitting her, before she will be ready
to proceed to sea, and as this will have to be per-
formed some distance from the dockyard, near Folly
Point,where the iron frigate will be moored, tempo-
rary ticket and other offices will be erected near
St. Marrs Island for the accommodation of a staff
of clerks, and to enable the mechanics to proceed
direct to and from their work, without compelling
them first to enter the dockyard. A considerable
saving of time will thus be effected. A pontoon raft
will be formed to the vessel by the Royal Engi-
neers for the convenience of the workmen leaving
and entering the ship. The four iron lower masts
have been received at Chatham from the manufac-
turer at Chepstow, and are placed on board two of
the vessels lying in the harbour. The upper and
other masts, as well as the bowsprit, will be of
wood, and these are being prepared at the dockyard.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Lieut. Charles W. Manthorp,
Lieut. Henry Cardale, Lieut. Arthur Williams,
Lieut. John L. F. Paul, Lieutenant Ralph de B.
Hawtrey, and Lieut. Mather Byles, to the Gib-
raltar; Sub-Lieut. Lynedock N. Moncrieff and Sub-
Lieut. Archibald Little, to the Pelorus ; Sub-Lieuts.
Charles I. Doxatt and Henry R. Kelly, to the
Scylla ; Sub-Lieuts. Thomas S. Jackson, Charles B.
Theobald, Robert Barton, and Richard P. W. Pow-
ney, to the Gibraltar; Frederick Lucas, paymalster,
to the Cumberland for the Tamar; Thos. T. Murray,
chief engineer, to the Gibraltar; James W. Steil,
chief engineer, to the Pelorus ; James Gillies, chief
engineer, to the Scylla; Robert Anderson (a), en-
gineer, to the Supply ; John Snell, engineer, to the
Scylla ; William Skeen, engineer, to the Gibraltar;
W. Maxwell, engineer to the Asia, for the Earnest;
John L. Davies, engineer to the Indus, for the De-
light; F. W. Sutton (b), engineer to the Indus, for
the Royalist ; Edward Taylor, engineer, to the Pe-
lorus ; Job Ann able, first-class assist-engineer, to
the Pelorus ; 'William N. Sennett, assist.-engineer,
to the Indus, for the Donegal ; J. Hopwood,
assist.-engineer, to the Fisgard, as supernumerary ;
William Bowen, assist.-engineer, to the Scylla; R.
J. Merman, assist.-engineer, to the Pelorus ; G. 0.
Wilson, assist.-engineer, to the Russell ; William
Pilcher, George W. Robins, and William F. Cole,
assist.-engineers, to the Gibraltar; and Benjamin F.
Pine, promoted to be chief engineer.

THE ARMY.

A War-office order has been received at Chatham
garrison announcing that to avoid the inconveni-
ence likely to arise from having two descriptions of
bursters for the 20 pounder Armstrong segment
shells, it has been decided that the bursters manu-
factured for use with the original 25 pounder seg-
ment shell shall be converted into 20 pounder burst-
ers of the approved pattern, and the necessary al-
terations are to be made by the insertion of a
wooden plug, which is to be dropped into the shell,
and tightly driven down before the burster is in-
serted, for the purpose of filling up the vacant space
caused by the reduction in the size of the burster.
Detachments of non-commissioned officers and
men of the Royal Engineers have been selected
from the depot companies at head-quarters, Chat-
ham, and placed under orders to embark for New
Zealand for the purpose of augmenting the 6th com-
pany of Royal Engineers and raising it to its full
strength. The non-commissioned officers and men
composing the reinforcements have completed their
course of instruction and fortification and other en-
gineering studies at head-quarters, Brompton bar-
racks, where they have been medically inspected,
and now only await the order from the Horse
Guards for their embarkation.
The Hougomont, Indiaman, Capt. Flamank, be-
longing to Messrs. Gollatley, Hankey, and Sewell,
of London, arrived at Spithead yesterday morning
with military officers, time-expired men, and inva-
lids on board, from Calcutta, as follows :—Captain
Bainbrigge, 13th Foot ; Capt. M'Gregor, 92d High-
landers ; Lieut. H. C. Kemm, 91st Regiment ;
•
Assist.-Surgeon Heysted, 77th Regiment ; Assist.
Surgeon Kilgour, 79th Highlanders; Capt. and
Mrs. Cunningham, Madras Army, and three
children ; 86 non-commissioned officers and men,
11 women, and 23 children, from 33 different
corps serving in India ; 30 insane patients and 10
convicts. Mrs. Millett and three children and Mr.
Lovett, one woman, and one child died on the pas-
sage. During the latter part of the voyage the
Hougomont spoke :—On the 9th of August, in lat.
6 29 N., long. 26 40 W., the bark Coronella, steer-
ing south ; on the 12th, in lat. 21 25 N., long. 34
22 W., the bark William Seckir, from Callao for
Cork. On the 29th, in lat. 40 43 N., long. 39 6 W.,
the bark Rangoon, from Cochin; on the 9th inst.,
off Scilly, the ship Lancaster, outward bound. The
vessel was consigned to Mr. James Garrett, Lloyd's
agent at Portsmouth, and by 3 p.m. the whole of
the troops on board were disembarked, and the
Hougomont, in tow of a Government steamtng, was
under weigh for the Nab light, on the resumption
of her voyage,to London. She has a valuable cargo
on board.
The Adventure, iron-built screw troopship, Com-
mander Thomas B. Lethbridge, yesterday embarked
at Portsmouth, under the superintendence of Major-
Gen. Lord Paulett, C. 8., and Col. E. Somerset,
C. 8., Deputy-Assist. Quartermaster-Gen. for
Canada, the following detachments for regiments
serving in Canada and Halifax :—Royal Artillery
—Capt. De Moleyns, Lieut. Alleyne, 72 men, 3
women, and 3 children. Royal Engineers-1 man-
-3a battalion Military Train-10 men and 2 women.
Ist battalion Grenadier Guards—Capt. Clint", 61
men and 2 women. Coldstream Guards---Captain
Seymour and 1 man. Scots Fusilier Guards—Capt.
Peel and Lieut. Gascoigne. Ist batta/ion 16th Foot
child. Ist teat
—Capt. —Capt. Castle, 2 women, and 1
An
2 women. 30th
lion 17th Foot—Capt. Utterson
Regiment--Licuts. Eden, and Green ; Licuts. Smith, En-
-62d Regiment-1
sign Thom and 20 men. man,
1 woman, and 1 child. lst battalion Rifle Brigade
—Major Warren, 15 men, and 1 Woman. Army
Hospital Corps-5 women and 1 child. Late
woman, and 4 children.
Royal Artillery roan, lames
Canadian It Reynolds, Reilly, Mill,
and child. ,floyal Artillery —Mesdames Coslin,
d 3 children. Ist battalion Rifle Bri-
O'Brien, 813
gade_mrs. Smith, schoolmistress. Army Hospital
Corps--Alesdames Arnold, Baglon, Tanner, and
child. For Halifax—Royal Artillery—Capt.O'Hara
land 41 men. Royal Engineers—} men. 39th Rcgt.
.—Assist.-Surg. Everett (fax Bermuda). Newfound-
land Corp;-_1 man. The Adventure was appointed
to sail from P
artinnouth last eyen;lig• calling in at
Cork, Where she would embark for Cau,:tda-Ist bat-
talion, 16th Regiment—Capt. Chicester', wife, and
7 children. Ist battalion 17th Regiment---Capt.
Bradhurne, wife, and 3 children. 47th Regiment
—rapt, Stolcc;-1, wife, and child; Lieut. Davern,
and 63i Regir,vynt—Capt. Hnnt, and
wife ; Liont.T_nnpp and wire. 156 men, 8 averne;::-
and 10 childr: n from sundry corps.
Quartermaster Brickdale, who died in the Royal
Marine Infirmary at Woolwich on Sunday last, was
yesterday; buried in the Charlton Cemetery, with
fall military honours. The funeral procession was
headed by a firing party with arms reversed, con-
sisting of forty rank and file and one drummer, fol-
lowed by Lieut. Allnutt and the regimental band
playing the " Dead March in Saul." The pall was
supported by six officers of the division, detailed
specially far the duty. The entire division followed
the corpse (borne on 0-pounder gun and carriage)

Connolly, 8.A., who perform,
vice. As soon as the corpse was lowered into
the grave, the firing party drew up in double
file, and fired three volleys of musketry over the
remains, and the troops commenced forming in the
usual order, the officers taking up their respective
rlldit;.
William Johnson, £5 ; Sergt."
commands. The drums and instruments were
then stripped of the crape and other sable emblems
15J;I:ohl.n0 ;Gardner, £5
with which they had been dressed, and the division
abpmnal
daaryrriti
i.aci heneiegcnd.
barrack-field,
of
number
df fumtlaboonendrgowfs
ielbarracksitrvneilscysee
adpiarrnset
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nit' wholeihne:(i:
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ef the Gen
Genera?-Commanding,,
inmtraonoapisng ,
Sirg a rur i
awardedlliwietho theye
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sterd
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non-commissioned assembled o n
offi artillerycers
::ay
Royal Horse
ber ofAr
tguriactruyi.t_i gratuities
tanda fr
collar-maker,
o silverll
a r -mmiscelandrikaaeralrsdt:
.Z
Drum-Majorl O t
tCadetysr Companygjta..elGunnersanoinyoLdroaupfwcpas
v:o—tind-,
t. Joseph Smith,
ThorneJ.,A.{:lolohsnnt Montgomery,
.I:.' r
yaimei
Farrier
Fairchild,
Gunnerßl Thomas Sewell, £5;
Sorg
; Gunner
William
B Kirk,o Nin bowa
rsdtlieest3r;d ,
Gunner Augustus Malmsley, £5; R
..,Orgt. James
Hinckley, £5; Gunner Samuel Dick, £5 ; Gunner
George Blanchard, £5 ; Gunner Rowland Redmile,
£5; Gunner Joseph Ledgett, £5; and Private
Joseph Wilde, £5, making a total of £139. After
the distribution of the medals and gratuities the
men formed a square, and the General, in a short
address, exhorted them to be moderate in the use
of spirituous liquors, which he saki were drank to
such a degree that promotion in the ranks was
impeded. The. men he had now •
rewarded had.
gained the distinctions awarded by bin' Majesty,
upon his recommendation, as a special xecognition,
of their steady and meritorious conduct. The de-
corated men then passed in front of the
square, and the troops were dismissed, The
General afterwards inspected the corps of iloyal
Engineers, commanded by Col. Ford, on their °WEL
parade ; and at 1 o'clock proceeded to the Plum-
stead Marshes, and witnessed a course of gunnery
exercises at the long range by the 13th Brigade►
Royal Artillery, under Col. Buchanan. This morn-0
ing Gen. Dacres will inspect the Coast Brigade,.
R.A., commanded by Major Campbell, and also the
battalion of Military Train, commanded by ColoneL
Kennedy, C.B.

Distribution and Strength of the French.

Army,

_
With the exception of certain troops on foreign
service, that army, according to the Paris corre-
spondent of the Times, is now on what is called the
pence footing, and consists of 412,000 men and
80,000 horses. There aro two reserves,
which may
be called in at a moment's notice, one of old soldiers
and another of young ones—the latter not yet in-
corporated, but almost ready to be dism.;ssed from
drill. These additions would bring the array up to
between 600,000 and 700,000 men—a very respect-
able force, and quite sufficient, as a French paper
lately observed, to meet all eventualities. The
412,000 are thus distributed :—ln Mexico, two
divisions of infantry and a brigade of cavalry, &c.,.
together nearly 31,000 men; in Cochin China, 1,600
men. The above are on the war footing. On what
is called the footing of rassemblenzent is the corps
of occupation at Rome, about 20,090 men in ono
division of three brigades, with a few squadrons of
cavalry. On the peace footing, divided into divi-
sions and brigades, the Army of Paris (3 divisions
of infantry and 1 of cavalry), the Army of Lyons
(2 divisions of infantry and 1 of cavalry), and the
division of cavalry of Luneville, consisting of four
regiments. There is also at Paris what is called a
reserve brigade, of 3 battalions and 5 squadrons,
specially allotted to the garrison of the capital, and
. which never leaves it. These two armies, and the
Luneville division, may be reckoned at 40,000
men. The Imperial Guard forms a special
corps, a reserve composed of 2 divisions of in-
fantry, 1 of cavalry, 3 brigades, and a body
of horse and foot artillery—together 33 bat-
talions (34 just now on account of the battalion
of Turcos), 36 squadrons (37 with the Spahis), form-
ing a total of 30,000 men. The remainder of the
French army is distributed in six great corps, five
in Frauce and one in Algeria. There used to bcr
generally 65,000 or 70,000 men in Algeria, but just
now there are not so many, several regiments having
been sent thence to Mexico. The troops in Algeria
may be divided into two classes,—French corps
whichremain there in garrison for a certain number
of years and then return to France, and what are
called indigenous corps, which never quit the colony
except for fighting purposes. In these latter corps,
however, it is to be observed, there are a great num-
ber of Europeans. They consist of three regiments
of Zouaves, three of Turcos (7irailleurs Alyeriens)
three of Chasseurs d'Afrique, and three of Spahis—
about 15,000 infantry and 3,000 horse. Besides these
there are the punishment battalions, populaey
known as the battalions of Zephyrs.
Very few corps of infantry and artillery in the
French army have not seen more or less service,
and, always excepting the young soldiers who have
entered since 1859, most of the regiments one falls
in with are plentifully bemedalled and decorated.
Crimea, Italy, and China have all been recorded in
the way that soldiers prize, and the Mexican medal
will soon be added to the adornments of the military
breast, among which are found in addition, in
many cases, the Legion of Honour, the Italian
military medal, the French good service medal, and
the Medjidie. The cavalry has been less fortunate.
I Comparatively few regiments were in the Crimea
and Italy. To Africa, where they have the Spahis
and Chasseurs d'Afrique, and where the climate
only
occasionally
e cai
onse t
and nature of the country and warfare are un-
favourableto
Chasseurs,heavy hors
e are , y thesy
all lightestsent.
cavalry:
Hussars, and

ONE WAY OF PAYING DEBTS WITHOUT MONEY.
--That most excellent device for the payment of
accounts between merchants residing in different countries,
by bills of exchange, without the actual transmission of
cash, was not unknown in England in the present period.
We find Peter Egiblank, Bishop of Hereford, employing
this contrivance, A.l). 1255, to a very pernicious purpose.
Henry 111, had contracted an immense debt to the Pope in
prosecuting the absurd project of snaking his son Edmund
King of Sicily ; and his Holiness, who was much indebted
to certain Italian merchants, who had advanced money for
carrying on the war, had become importunate for payment.
In this extremity the Bishop of Hereford suggested to
henry the following curious scheme for the payment of all
his debts without money :—That the Italian merchants to
whom the Pope was indebted shodd draw bilis in favour of
their creditors in England, on all the rich bishops, abbots,
and priors, in that kingdom, for certain large sums of money
alleged to have been lent by them to these prelates for the
use of their respective churches ; that these bills should all
be sent to the Pope's legate in England, who should com-
pel the prelates to accept and pay them, by threats of eccle-
siastical censures. This iniquitous scheme was adopted by
the King, and the bishop was sent to Rome to procure the
Pope's consent and concurrence. These were easily pro-
cured. The bills, to the amount of 150,510 marks, wore
drawn and presented, and the prelates, after many raison-,
strancos, were compelled to pay them, by threats of excoui-
munication.—llistory of England, by lir. Henry.
ADVEIMSEMENTI—Avoid medicines : theyalways agars.
vote chronic complaints, but Du Barry's Delicious Health
Restoring Revolenta Arabica Food, which saves fifty times
its cost in other remedies, invariably cures them, restoring
' perfect digestion, strong nerves, sound lungs, healthy liver,
pure blood, refreshing sleep, functional regularity, and energy
to the most disordered or enteebled. We extract at few out
of 00,000 :—Cure No. 58.216 of the Marchioness de
Itrelmn, Perle, of a elver complaint, wastiii7 away for riven.
years, debility, with a nervous paipit:tion oil over, had
dE: est ion, constant sleeplessness, the m wit in I;)lerable nervous
agitation, end dreadfully low spiriteri.---C,n No. 1,771. Lord
stno.t, do Deciss, Lord Lieut. of ‘Vaterlertl, of many years',
dyspups:J.—No. 19,6.12. "Filly Years' indescribable agony
from dyspel;sia, nervousness. L.,,thina, cough, constipation.
flatulency, sPaons, sickness, and vomiting.—Maria
—Cure No. 46,270. Mr. domes Roberts, of Frimley, Surrey, of
thirty years' diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver derange:
went, and partial deafness.—Cure No. 47,121. Miss Elizabeth
Jacobs, of extreme nervousness, indigestion, gatherings, low
spirits, and nervous fancies.—Cure No. 64.816. The Rev. Jas
T. Campbell, Fakenham, Norfolk, "of indigestion and torpi.
dity of the liver, which had resisted all medical treatment.'
,
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408.—Barry Du Barry and Co., No. 77, Regent-street, London ;
also Fortnum and Mason ; and all GroCtr4 sad Chemists
every town et the United liingaoin.