The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-03 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The experimental firing from Captain Cowper P,
Cole's cupola was resumed at Portsmouth on Satur-
day, , under the direction of Captain R. S. Hewlett;
.8., commanding H.M.S. Excellent, and was again
attended with highly satisfactory rel!'alts. Every-
thing was carried as in action: even to the hanging
of the fighting lanterns, lit up, in their places in-
side the cupola. The target was placed at 3,600
yards' distance, and the practice made was exceed-
ingly good, the second shot fired passing through
it. The two 100 pounders were fired singly and
together, and in quick firing six rounds were fired
in as ra
any minutes. The concussion from the dis-
charge of the gun was but trifling, and was, in fact-,
found to be greater outside the shield than within
it. The smoke cleared off as effectually as on the
last day's experiments, and the guns, with their
carriages, worked with the greatest facility. The
shield ship which it is proposed to build on this
plan will tave no masts, and when afloat will show
to the 'view above her deck merely her funnel and
the tops of her shields. Cleared for action, the ship's
bulw arks are thrown down all round her level with
the upper deck, along the centre of which are
'ranged her cupola shields, resembling gigantic in-
verted tea saucers, each containing twoloo-pounder
Arinstrongs of 88 cwt. These shields rest upon
towers, which are sunk through the upper deck,
and are fixed on a turn table on the deck below,
"which revolves, with the guns, shield, and men, as
may be required. The height of the shield from
the upper deck will be about sft, which will be but
a small object for an enemy to fire at ; shot can
only strike it an angle of 45 deg. The muzzle of
the guns will be 9ft. 6in. from the water. The sides
of the vessel will be covered with armour plating,
the form and arrangement of which may most pro-
bably be a subject for future consideration, as the
experiments that will be commenced at Shoebury-
ness to-morrow, and others that will be carried
out bath at Portsmouth and Shoeburyness, with
cellular and other plates, will be certain to
effect a great change in our present mode of at-
taching the armour plates to our iron ships. The
shield ship will be 2,500 tons measurement, and
her estimated cost is, as far as can be ascertained at-
present, £lBO,OOO. Her draught of water is to be
only 20ft., and her speed 12f knots. The Defence,
selecting her by way of comparison, is 3,668 tons,
draws 25ft. 4in. of water, has made a speed of
11.357 knots (she will probably add another half
knot on her next trial, which is arranged to take
place within a few days), and her coat has been
nearly twice that estimated for the shield ship.
Many other important advantages will also be pos-
sessed by the shield ship over the Defence class. On
a broadside the latter can only fight seven guns,
protected by her iron plates, whereas the shield
ship can bring her whole 12 to bear at one time
upon any point deeired, with virtually no limit to
their training, whereas the Defence is confined with
her seven gulls to some 29 deg. of training. In clos-
ing, the enield ship, by taking a slightly oblique
coureb, can bring the whole of her guns to bear
upon the enemy, while the latter can only reply
with two or three guns from the bow or stern, as
the case may be. It is evident that, in any contest
with another vessel, should the shield ship be the
faster of the two, she would be enabled to keep this
position as long as she chose, and destroy the ves-
sel opposed to her at leisure, and with almost abso-
lute impunity. Capt. Coles has arranged sets of
tables applicable to the cupolas at each end of the
ship for ascertaining the exact distance of an ob-
ject, This is done, on the order "prove distance" be-
ing given, by taking the degrees of training given
to the cupola in directing it upon 'the object, and
referring to the table of angles. The distance is
thus ascertained in the time merely required to train
the cupola and without the use of any instrument,
and if the object fired at be a moving one the distance
can be corrected and word passed along to the other
cupola each time the guns are fired. It may be ne-
cessary to state here that the top of the shield itself i
is sighted like a rifle, independently of the gun it
contains, and it is the cupola, therefore, which is di-
rected upon the object, the guns revolving with the
tower. The guns are placed parallel to each other,
and the sights are immediately over them. The
duty of directing the shield is given to one man,
who is termed the " director," and who occupies
an elevated position in rear of the two guns, from
which he can look over the edge of the shield when
bringing its guns to bear upon the object to be
fired at. To protect his head while in this posi-
tion, the front upper edge of the shield is fitted
with two stout iron mantlets, with sufficient space
for a line of sight between them. We trust that the
midship sections of our finished iron ships will not
be repeated in the construction of the shield ship.
The Sidon, paddle frigate, Capt. R. B. Crawford,
was paid out of commission at Portsmouth on Sa-
turday, and afterwards placed in the third class
steam reserve.

The Black Prince, 40, iron frigate, in dock at
Portsmouth, is having the lower portion of her
rudder considerably enlarged, for experimental
purposes. Another ship at Portsmouth has been
selected to test a proposed method of steering with
the power applied below the water line.
IZAdmiralty instructions have been received at
Chatham directing that in future all fourth-rate
ships—comprising all frigates of which the comple-
ments are 600 and not less than 410 men—are in
future to bear a commander and four lieutenants
when commissioned. The necessary cabin accommo-
dation is accordingly to be provided in the above
class of sea-going ships by the dockyard officials.
Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, Superintendent
of I)evonport Dockyard, paid off the gunnery ship
Cambridge, Capt. Arthur Jerningham, in Hamoaze
on Friday, when medals were given, with a suitable
address by Mrs. Jerningham, to John Brown and
William Vixen, chief gunner's mates; R. Michell,
boatswain's mate ; W. Fox, master-at-arms ; W,
Ferris, armourer ; and James Gardener, ship's
steward, for merit and long service. The four first
named received also 1.:15 gratuity each, the last two
£lO. In order to complete his time for the flag,
Capt. Jerningham retains command until the Ist of
April, when he will be succeeded by Capt. L. G.
Heath, C.B.

Commander the Hon. W. S. Ward has been ap-
to the Styx.

The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :—C. H. Hayes, Sub.-Lieut.,
to the Styx ; E. H. H. Stephen and W. F. A. H.
Russell, midshipmen, to the Stvx ; Henry T. Paulin,
midshipman, to the Defence ; Charles P. Turner,
chief engineer, to the Styx ; James Duffield, first
class assist.-engineer, to the Shannon, vice Webber;
W. W. Webber, first class assist.-engineer, to the
as supernumerary, for hospital treatment;
Frederick T. Pendleton and James Scott, first class
assist.'engineers, to the Styx ; William Lawson,
"mid class assist.-engineer, to the Styx; the Rev.
J. W- L. %infield, chaplain, to the Cambridge ;
John T. 'a
surg., to the Britannia ; Thomas
Becemue' "IN., to the Cambridge ; Will. H. Clarke
and H. F.
Nathan, assist.-surgs., to the Cambridge ;
Geo. J. Tomlin, second master, to the Grappler;
David F. Clow, paymaster, to the Cambridge ; H.
F. Alldrich, assist,-paymaster, to the Dauntless ;
H. H. Burniston, assist._
Vaymaster to the Cam-
bridge ; Robert Bone ,
, assist.-paymaster, to the
Cambridge •; W. A. It. Rail, masters' assistant, to
the Styx ; Marshall Little and Richard R. B. Hop-
ley, masters' assistant', to the Nile, as supernume-
raries.

THE AlifrlY.--

Orders have been received by themilitary
authorities at Portsmouth to furnish
,all those
of the 60th (Rifle) Regiment who may wish
them with furloughs to enable:them to visit their
friends. The regiment only arrived at Portsmouth
from China a few days since, and, as most of the
men have large sums in their possession, this grant-
ing of furloughs will be a great boon to them.
Some further trials were made at Chatham on
Friday with Capt. Bolten's newly-invented tele-
graphic lime light signals, in order to put the inven-
tion to a more extended test than on the occasion
of the previous trial. On this occasion three parties
of telegraphists were engaged, each provided with
the
lime light together with the small portable Bp-
Parat" inve-nted by Capt. Bolton for generating
the oxygen a
nd hydrogen gases which produce the

light. One party was stationed on the commanding I
elevation known as Blue Bell-hill, Maidstone; a 1
second being placed on the banks of the Thames,
neP.rly opposite Southend, at a distance of 12 miles
in a straight line from the first party ; Capt. Bol-
ton again occupied the Spur battery, from which,
with a party of Royal Engineers, he superintended
the signals, The night was clear. Notwithstanding
the great distances the light shone out with remark-
able brilliancy, enabling the three parties to keep
up an uninterrupted communication with each
other. The most valuable part of Capt. Bolton's in-
vention is that a las.q or thick atmosphere does not
interfere with the working of the signals, as, by a
modi.fication of the lenses used, a light sufficiently
powerful to pierce through a thick fog can be pro-
duced. During the present week the invention will
be tested at still greater distances, the parties being
stationed 20 miles from each other.

A general order, isued by direction of the Duke
of Cambridge, has been received at Chatham garri-
son, from the Horse Guards, directing that in future
the parchment certificate, given to all men dis-
charged from the army. shall contain on the back a
full description of the age, height, &c., of each man
to whom it is given, similar in all respects to that
drawn up when a man enlists into the service. This
regulation is to be adopted to prevent the improper
uses that have lately been made of discharged cer-
tificates by men of bad character obtaining posses-
sion of good certificates and then fraudulently re-
enlisting under an assumed name and description.
A number of the most clever modellers belonging
to the Royal Engineers are actively employed at
headquarters, Chatham, in the preparation of a model
of Preston Barracks—one of the most perfect bar-
rack-buildings in the kingdom—to be placed in the
Great International Exhibition. The model, which
has been several months in hand, has been con-
structed under the immediate superintendence of
Lieut.-Col. Collinson, RE., and is one of the finest
specimens of that description of work ever produced
by the Royal Engineers. It is upwards of 20 feet
in length.

In a general regimental order of the Royal Ar-
tillery, dated the 26th ult., issued by the Colonel,
Charles Bingham, Deputy-Adjutant-General at the
Horse Guards, are the following items of informa-
tion :—His Royal Highness the General Command-
ing-in-Chief has been pleased to make the-following
appointments,—viz., Lieut. A. Ford to the Horse
Brigade, vice the Hon. A. Stewart; Lieut. V. A.
Tufnell to the Horse Brigade, vice Strau-
benzee, posted to the 14th Brigade; Lieut. E.
V. Boyle to the Horse Brigade, vice Wilson, who
resigns his appointment therein and is posted to
the 6th Brigade; Lieut. T. Van Stranbenzee to be
aide-de-camp to Major-Gen. Sir T. Van Strau-
benzee, K.C.B. ; Lieut. R. S. M. Mackenzie

to be aide• de-camp to Major-Gen. M. C. John-
stone. The following transfers have been
ordered, viz. ;—Lieut. R. S. M. Mackenzie, from G
battery, 9th Brigade, to the 12th Brigade ; Lieut.
A. E. Turner, from the Depot Brigade, to the G
battery, 9th Brigade ; Lieut. C. D. Chalmers, from
No. 4 battery, 14th Brigade, to No. 1 battery, Ist
Brigade ; Assist. Surg. A. Lewer, from the 9th to
the 14th Brigade ; Assist. Surg. G. A. Grant, from
the 9th to the 14th Brigade; Assist. Surg.W. Tan-
ner, from the 14th to the 9th Brigade ; Assist. Surg.
G. D. Milnes, M.D., from the 14th to the 9th Bri-
gade ; Assist. Surg. J. J. C. Rogers, from 6th to the
15th Brigade. An exchange of batteries has been
sanctioned between Capt. and Brevet Lieut.-Col. J.
F. Pennycuick, of the 14th Brigade, and Capt. L.
A. Bradshaw, of the 13th Brigade, and the former
officers has proceeded from China to Bombay; also
between Lieut. Smith-Neill, of No. 2, and Lieut.
Mulreenan, of No. 8 battery, 2d Brigade; also be-
tween Lieut. Nicholson, of No. 1, and Lieut. Cros-

thwaite, of No. 7 battery, sth Brigade. Captain
Farmer is posted to the 15th Brigade. Berg. W.
Ross, of the Depot Brigade, has been appointed
master gunner at Stallingborough, vice Elliott.
Much inconvenience having been occasioned upon
men being brought before the Commissioners of
Chelsea Hospital for discharge as unfit for further
service through injuries received, in consequence of
there being no documents in proof of the men's
statements and medical cases, the attention of the
officers commanding brigades is regnested to the
necessity that exists of complying strictly with the
provisions of the 87th Article of War immediately
men receive injuries, in order that the facts may be
at once recorded. The proceedings of the court of
inquiry should accompany the individuals upon
their transfer from one brigade to another, thus
placing the Commissioners of the Royal Hospital
eventually in possession of the information essential
to them in determining satisfactorily the rates of
pensions to be awarded.

- The batteries of artillery at Worley barracks,
near Brentwood, have been drilled in anticipation of
a visit from his Royal Highness the General Com-
manding-in-Chief.

With reference to the new cavalry barracks at
Colchester, it appears that a shipload of materials,
implements, &c., has arrived from Lowestoft, while
the carting of bricks to the site is proceeded with, bat
the actual works will not be commenced f©r three
weeks.

The following promotions and appointments iu

the corps of Royal Marines, consequent on the re-
tirement of Colonel Commandant F. A. Campbell,
of the Woolwich Division, were promulgated at
head quarters, Chatham, yesterday :—Col. J. Mit-
chell, Second Commandant of the Portsmouth
Division, to be Col.-Commandant of the Woolwich
Division; Lieut.-Col. and Brevet Col. J. G. Ayles,
of the Plymouth Division, to be Col. Second Com-

mandant of the Portsmouth Division ; Capt. and
Brevet Lieut--Col. W. S. Aslett, of the Portsmouth
Division, to be Lieut.-Col., and appointed to the
Plymouth ; First Lieut. and Quartermaster J. S.
Mould, of the Chatham Division, to be Capt. and
appointed to the Portsmouth Division ; Second
Lieutenant H. S. Bourchier, of the Woolwich

Division, to be First Lieutenant, and appointed to

a division to be specially notified; Second Lieu-
tenant C. C. King, of the Chatham Division,
to be appointed to the Artillery Division at Ports-
mouth.

THE VOLUNTEERS.

--~----

On Saturday last the London Rifle Brigade pro-
ceeded from Guildhall to the regimental parade
ground, Old Kent-road, for battalion drill. Before
commencing the manoeuvres Major Rose, who was
in command, addressed the men, saying that he took
this opportunity of informing them that, it having
come to his knowledge that certain statements had
been made which placed him in a false ',position
with the brigade, he now begged leave to assure
those present that, under no circumstances what-
ever, would he take command of either the Ist or
2d battalion of the corps. He considered that the
post of commanding officer should be filled by tho-
roughly qualified military men, in obtaining whom
he would use his best efforts and cheerfully assist
the regimental committee. The Major also stated,
with regard to the review at Brighton, that Lieut.-
Colonel Close had left the matter to him, and that
if a successor to Lieutenant-Colonel Hicks was
not appointed by that time he would write to the
War-office asking them to appoint a military officer
to take command on that day. Three cheers were
then giN"ren for Major Rose, after which the batta-
lion commenced their drill.

On Thursday evening an " assault of arms" by
several members of the 37th Middlesex Rifles took
place at the Music-hall, Store-street, Bedford-square,
in the presence of a large number of the members,
including several officers. Lieutenant-Colonel
Jeakes, the commandant, desirous of promoting the
efficiency of the corps, has offered prizes to the value
Of £35 to be competed for in the summer by mem-
bers who had gained the greatest number of "at-
tendances" at parade during the winter months.
Lieutenants Day and Gardiner have also presented
money
last at
A prizes to be competed for on the same terms.
very interesting
the 2d Inland Rev
ten of the St.
WormwoodThurs-
day-scrubbs between ten men of
James's
Company, Civil Service, and
(West-
minster) ranges, 3008 Company, Queen's
shots each range,
favourable for shooting,
east wind blowing across the
a very keen competition throughout
contest, there having been several '
The weather
and 600 yards ; five
(West-
thereweather was most un-
:teiiii.:: a bitter cold
range all day. After
the whole of the
ties, it was found