The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-07 00:00:00

7HE AliMI.

The 20th company of Royal Engineers, under the
command of Capt. E. C. Sim and Lieut. R. G. Tho-
rold, arrived at head-quarters, Chatham, yesterday,
from Western Australia, after an absence from Eng-
land of nearly 12 years. The company left England
in 1851, its strength being then 120 men of all
ranks. During the time it was stationed in Western
Australia it was employed in opening up the public
roads and in the erection of the various Government
buildings, including the large convict establishment
at Fremantle, which was built almost entirely by
the Sappers aid Miners. Owing to the length of
time the company has been absent from England,
its strength has been so reduced that it now only
numbers 37 men of all ranks, together with 29
women and 84 children, the numbers which joined
head-quarters. The company will be raised to
its proper strength from the depot companies at
bead-quarters. It is expected that most of the non-
commissioned officers and men will either claim or
purchase their discharge, most of them returning to
England in possession of large sums of money accu-
mulated by them in the colony, where they reeeived
extra pay and other emoluments.

The 7th company of Royal Engineers, under the
command of Capt. F. E. B. Beaumont, arrived at ,
Gravesend yesterday, from Halifax, Nova Scotia,
and joined head-quarters at Brompton Barracks,
Chatham. The 7th company, which numbers 70
men of all ranks, with 50 women and children, has
been absent from England several years.
The half-yearly inspections of the troops in garri-
son at Edinburgh were made at the end of last week,
by Major-Gen. Walker, commanding in the north-
ern district. At the inspections Major-Gen. Stoli-
pine, one of the aides-de-camp to the Emperor of
Russia, was present, and took great interest in ob-
serving the efficiency of the troops.
Col. Eardley Wilmot, head-quarters, and two bat-
teries of the 7th Brigade, Royal Artillery, arrived
in garrison at Woolwich yesterday from Canada.
They came to Gravesend in the Himalaya steam
troopship, Capt. Lacy, and thence to Woolwich in
steamtugs from the dockyard. The Himalaya has
likewise brought on freight a large amount of naval
stores from the dockyards of Halifax, Quebec, &c.,
which will be discharged in barges and lighters,
and landed at Woolwich. Mr. Trickett, chief
engineer of Woolwich factory, was yesterday
ordered to Gravesend by telegram from the Ad-
miralty, in order to inspect the machinery of the
Himalaya, the shaft having been found " out of
truth." The Himalaya was yesterday ordered to
be supplied with 100 tons of coals from Woolwich.
The annual inspection of the Royal Marine Ar-
tillery at Portsmouth was made by Major-Gen.
Stransham, C. 8., Deputy Adjt.-Gen. of the Royal
Marine forces, during the end of last week and yes-
terday. On Wednesday the men, 750 in number,
including non-commissioned officers, were drawn up
across the parade ground of Fort Cumberland to
receive the General, who made a most minute in-
spection in line. The cook-house, infirmary, barrack
rooms, &c., were next inspected; 14 gunners were
brought before the General as being incompetent to
learn artillery duties, clearly showing the bad sys-
tem of selecting men from the divisions, or rather
receiving the volunteers offered from them for the
Artillery. The men having dined at noon, the as-
sembly again sounded at 1 o'clock, when the inspec-
tion was resumed. In the laboratorythe usual course
was gone through, but the lecturer on gunnery
showed the want of a superior class of men for Ar-
tillerymen in these days, when changes in the whole
system are constantly taking place, generally of a
very complicated character. The system of drill now
carried out in this corps has for its objects to enable
the men, first, to perform what is required accord-
ing to the Ordnance book; secondly, to carry out
suggestions on field exercise book, regarding, Ist,
bringing men on progressively, and making them
fully comprehend one subject before entering upon
another; 2d, creating emulation ; 3d, mutual instruc-
tion; 4th, dividing the squads into drill classes ; sth,
practising the giving of words of command. Cate-
chism is introduced in all the instructions. Number-
ing drill is abolished except for teaching sponging
and loading ; heavy work avoided as far as possible,
and time saved. Where any intricacy exiats in the
drill it is made plain by moving
one or two num-
bers at a time. The work going on in the laboratory
during the General's inspection consisted of driving
fuzes, making tubes, rockets, handlights, longlights,
bluelights, portfires, light and smoke balls, carcases,
pulverising saltpetre, and extracting saltpetre from
damaged powder. The young soldiers were next
inspected at ordinary garrison guns, stand-
ing carriages, dwarf and traversing carriages, and
mortars, the classification of the men being at the
same time strictly attended to. Practice was next
made from the 110 pounder and 40 pounder Arm-
strongs at 1,500 yards' range; 12 pounder Arm-
strongs at 900 and 1,300 yards ; shell firing from
the smooth-bore guns on the works at different
ranges ; broadside smooth-bore firing at 600 yards;
100 inch mortars at 650 yards ; and 13 inch sea ser-
vice mortars at 3,000 yards, the Whole
of the prac-
tice being excellent. The rocket practice, owing to
a strong wind, was not so effective as it would other-
Wise have been had the weather been more favour-
able. The rifle practice was very good: The in-
spection was of an unuinally minute and searching
character. Yesterday the division was paraded on
Southsea-common. The Artillery mustered eight
companies, under the command of Coi.-Commandant
Tate, and the Light Infantry mustered 12 com-
panies, under the command of Col.-Commandant A.
G. Ayles. The whole farce was drawn up in line
position on the common by 3 p.m., and after being
napected thus by Gem, Stransham marched past