The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-15 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEERS.

The Grand Metropolitan Rifle contest at Wormwood
Scrubs, which commenced on Thursday, as previously
stated, was concluded on Saturday. Notwithstanding the
unpropitious state of the weather, there was a large attend-
ance, and some good shooting was made. In the first com-
petition of the Metropoitan Stakes, value £lOO, there were
about 200 competitors for the 18 prizes. The first prize,
£25, was won by Sergeant Gibbs, Bristol Rifles, 46 marks;
the second, £l5, by Lieutenant Marriner, West Middlesex,
45; and the third £lO, by Private Seymour, Queen's
(Westminster), 44. The following were the other chief
prizes : —Fourth competition—Five sleets at 500 yards, all
comers, any rifle ; first prize, £lO, to Private Symons, South
Middlesex, 20. Sixth competition—Five shots at 500 yards,
long Enfield rifles ; first prize £lO, Private Kennedy, 29th
(North Middlesex), 18. Seventh competition—Five shots
at 203 yards, all centers, any rifle; first prize. £lO, Ensign
Bentieg, St. George's, 19. Ninth competition— First prize,
£lO, Captain Cooper, 16th Middlesex, 15 marks. Tenth
Competition—First prize L'lo, Ensign Basting, St. George's,
17 marks. Eleventh competition (Sweepstakes)—First
prize to Private Sandford, St. George's, 19 marks. The
first series of extra prizes were competed for at 503 yards :
—First prize, Sef geant.Andrews, 11th Middlesex, 16 marks;
second, Lieutenant Kerr, 7th Surrey, 16 marks; thud,
Private Mackenzie, St. George's, 16 marks ; fourth, Private
Kennedy, 29th Middlesex, 16 marks ; fifth, Sergeant An-
derson, Queen's (Westminster), 15 marks, Thu other extra
prizes et ere shoe for at 200 yards, and resulted as follows :
—First prize, Captain Sarsons, Queen's (Westminster), 19
marks; second, Sergeant Andrews, Ste George's, 16 marks ;
third, Private Leete, Queen's (Westminster), 16 marks ;
fourth, Private Fellowes, Victories, 16 marks; fifth, Lieu-
tenant Marriner, West Middlesex, 15 marks. The ar
rangements made by the committee were most satisfactory.
On Monday last the Oxford and Cambridge University
Volunteers met at Pent Meadow, near Oxford, and
under command of ,Colonel M'Murdo, went through the
movements incidental to a brigade fieldday. The Oxford
corps was the first to arrive on the ground, and soon after
their companions in arms were seen marching to the ren-
dezvouz As Oxford deployed on its rear, and Cambridge
on its leading company, the precision with which the dis
tances were taken, the quickness and cerrectness of the
dressing, and the rapidity and steadiness of the formation,
tested at once the almost prJessional efficiency of covering
sergeants, officers. and men. After a change of front on No.
4of the Oxford battalion, the Cambridge being thrown
back, the left company of Oxford and right of Cambridge
were thrown out to skirmish and cover the advance of the
battalions formed into column. As the skirmishers ad-
vanced even at a comparatively short distance, growing dim
and indistinct owing to the light shade of their uniform,
there was ample time to criticise the progress of the men in
this most important part of the drill of light troops. The
briskness of the fire, careful preservation of distance betwen
the fi'es, steadines• in advancing, retiring, or takingground
to a flank, the ready formation of the company and batta-
lion squares as the last notes of the "alarm" died away, the
galling file-firing—all showed the attention that had been
paid to the most essential points in military skill and disci-
pline. Possibly the fire of the skirmishers would have bean
even still more effective had every third file only fired at the
bugle sound, the first and second taking it up with slight
intervals between their fire. To describe in detail all the
movements would be tedious ; but one thing deserves espe-
cial mention—the file-firing—of which it would be no exag-
geration to say that it was all it should be. One other
movement most difficult of execution was remarkably well
performed—the lanes alternately retiring through each
other, keeping up the file-firing on the retire. At the close
of the day the troops marched past Colonel M'Murdo, the
Oxford being remarkable for the even character of their
movement. No one company was conspicuous among its
peers ; but the Cambridge No. 6, without doubt, bore the
palm. Led by Capt. Ross, the quondam champion shot of
England, it moved with a step and front not unworthy the
best trained troops of a regular army. After the review the
Cambridge companies were entertained in different College
halls, and left by special train for Cambridge at 8.30.
The third annual prize meeting of the Sussex Volunteer
Association was held at the Littlehampton Fort Govern-
ment ranges on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday last,
9th, 10th, and 11th of June, The shooting arrangements
were excellently carried out under the direction of Major
Piton. Capt. and Adjutant Taylor acted as umpire, and
Sergeant-Major Dibbin as secretary. The weather on the
first two days, although fine, was rather windy, and conse-
quently very unfavourable to the shooting. On the third
day, in addition to a strong wind, which blew across the
ranges from the right,there were intermediate showers. The
competitors for the prizes on the first two days were en-
rolled Volunteers,and the disembodied militia of the county.
All the prizes were shot for with three-grooved Enfield
rifles of bona fide Government pattern (1853) Government
ammunition, Hythe position, Wimbledon scoring. On
Wednesday evening Lord West dietrrbuted the prizes to
the successful competitors won on that and the previous
day. The following is a list of the prizes :-200 and 300
yards ranges, five shots each distance—Private Street,
9th Sussex (Arundel) Rifles, £lO, 28 marks; Sergeant May,
sth Sussex (East Grinstead) Rifles, £5, 28 marks; Burglar
Leaney, 17th Sussex, £3, 25 marks. It will be seen from
the foregoing that Private Street and Sergeant May each
made 28 marks, and in shooting off the tie Street made a
"centre," and May missed. 500 and 600 yards, five shots at
each distance—Private Waggett, Ist Sussex (Brighton)
Rifles, £l5, 24 marks; Private Scott, Ist Sussex (Brighton)
Rifles, £lO, 28 marks; Private Atfield, 9th Sussex (Arun-
del) Rifles, £5, 23 marks. 700 and 800 yards, seven shots
at each distance—Ensign Padwick, 7th Sussex (Horsman)
Rifles, "County Cup," value £25, with bronze medal
of the National Rifle Association, 31 marks; Capt. Warren,
9th Sussex (Arundel) Rifles, £lO, 25 marks ; Corporal
Sharp, 9th Sussex (Arundel) Rifles, £5, 22 marks. 400
yards, 7 shots.—Staff-Sergeant Daintrey, 6th Sussex (Pet-
worth) Rifles, a cup, value Ll 5, presented by the inhabitants
of Littlehampton, 25 marks; Colour-Sergeant Cortis 11th
Sussex (Worthing) Rifles, £5, 23 marks. 200 and 500
yards, 7 shots at each distance, open to all comers—Colour-
Sergeant Cortis, 11th Sussex (Worthing) Rifles, £2O, 41
marks ; Corporal Livesay, lst Sussex (Brighton) Rifles, £lO,
40 marks; for the 3d prize, £5, Ensign Padwick, 7th Sussex
Rifles, and private Goppy, each made 36 marks, and, instead
of shooting off, agreed to divide. On the whole the shoot-
ing was far superior to that of the two previous meetings.
The competition for the Littlehampton cup was very excit-
ing and extremely good ; 37 competitors made more than a
point per shot, the winner of the cup 4 bulls' eyes and 3
centres in seven shots.

On Wednesday two batteries belonging to the Ist Kent
Administrative Brigade of Volunteer Artillery, under the
command of Lieut.-C 1. Gladdish, proceeded to the fortifica-
tions which command the entrance to Chatham harbour,
for the purpose of expending one-half of their annual allow-
ance of ammunition from the garrison guns mounted on the
fortress, consisting of 100 rounds of solid shot from 68-
pounder and 32-pounder guns, and 25 rounds of common
shell. On the batteries being manned, a rapid course of
firing with solid shot was commenced from the 68• .:s
and 32-pounders, at a target moored to seaward, at a range
of 1,800 yards. After the expenditure of the supply of solid
shot, practice was made with the common shell. Some
estimate may be formed of the efficiency of the corps in the
use and management of heavy ordnance when it is stated
that the target was on several occasions during the firing
both with shot and shell, shivered to atoms, and the frame-
work on which it floated considerably damaged, while the
opinion was freely expressed by competent judges that the
practice was equal, if not superior, to that of the regular
artillery.

WHAT HAS ADMIRAL WILKES DONE ?—This is
an interesting question to solve. Admiral Wilkes
has made a peat noise in the world, and some trouble too.
He was busily engaged in finishing the narrative of his
South Sea expeditit.n, and was returning home from Africa
when he fell foul of Mason and Sltdell, and created immense
excitement thereby among the diplomats and commentators
upon international law all over both hemispheres. When
Admiral Goldsborough failed to accomplish what was ex-
pected of him in the Chesapeake, Admiral Wilkes got com-
mand of the flotilla in the James River, but he did not suc-
ceed in doing anything there. Then he was intrusted with
the charge of a flying squadron around the West Indies,
and people expected to see the rebel privateers swept off the
sea at once ; but, with the exception of an occasional growl
from a newspaper in Nassau or Berumda, we heard very
little of Admiral Wilkes's proceedings until he seizedcerte
Certainly
Peterhoff,which caused another row in England:
prey.il
he has not diminished the number of the rebel shipste ofevebeen
As far es they are concerned his fleet appears h
always kept clear of
a flying squadron indeed, for theyand
the Vanderbilt, which was destbinee
the privateers. Now he has seizeddhfooanrveea
would let the Vanderbilt
vessels,ogfpeoUrCialoswenrvice,
has made her his flagship.
wlifth seizing the rebel Alabama
alone, and content himself
them
into a flagship, it would
or Florida, and turn one of
e evident that there is no chance
be much better.
Admiral Wilkes is •
one else besides put in
rid of until some
of either of these vletEssels or any other privateers being got
command of the flying Squadron.—New York Hereld.
The Polish National Government," says the
Opinion Nationale," acts precisely as though there
were no longer any Russians in Poland. A letter from
Warsaw states that it has just ordered the establishment in
each district of tribunals, the competency of which is fixed
by a decree. The judges are bound to conform to the
enactments of the penal code promulgated, at the same time
by the National Government. The Russians, as may well
be seen, have no longer anything to do in Poland, where
their presence only serves to disturb legal order."
EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY IN AN AUSTRALIAN
SHIP. —A very remarkable discovery has just been
made in one of Messrs. Grocn's ships recently arrived in the
port of London. The ship Result was being overhauled a
day or two ago in the London Docks, when the skeleton of
a man was found standing, upright. He was dressed, but
all his fle,h had dried up on his bones, and his clothes there-
fore hung loosely about him. On searching him a sum of
twelve shillings in silver was found in his pocket, but no
other property of any kind. It is supposed that the wan
had not the means to pay for his passage and secreted him-
self in some part of the vessel, and was either suffocated or
that in consequence of the manner in which the cargo was
packed he found it impossible to escape from his place
confinement.